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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microraproductiofit'/lnstitut  Canadian  de  microrepro/ductions  historiquas 


^ 


Tachnieal  and  Bibfiograipnfc  Notas/NotM  tvchni^uas  m  bibliographiqiMs 


The  Instituta  has  anamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  this 
copy  which  may  bo  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathpd  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


□    Colourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  d#  eoulaur 


^~~^    Covars  damagad/ 


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Couvartura  andommagia 

Covars  rastorad  and/or  iaminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurto  at/ou  palliculAa 

Covar  titia  missing/ 

La  titro  da  couvartura  manqua 


L'Institut  a*  microfilm*  la  maillaur  exampiaire 
qu'il  lui  a^itd  possible  da  sa  procurer.  Las  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui'sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thoda  normaie  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 

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Pagaa  da  eoulaur 


n 


JPagoa  damaged/ 
Pages  andommagtea 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/. 
Pages  restauries  at/ou  pelliculies 

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Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d*color*es,  tachatAes  ou  piquies 


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Pages  ditach^es 

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Bound  with  other  material/ 
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Tight  binding  may  caqso  shadow*  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  llure  serrAe  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la  > 
diatorsion  !•  long  d*  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appeir  within  tha  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  oertainos  peges  blanchea  ajoutiaa  . 
lors  d'une  reatauration  apparaiaaam  dans  la  taxte, 
mais,  lorsque  ceia  #yiit  posalbla.  oas  pagea  n'ont 
pas  *t«  fllmitir --:  :^ " — 7;^: 


□   Quality  of  print  varial/ 
Qualiti  in^gala  de  I'in^pression 

r~Vlncludes  supplementary  material/ 
L^   Comprend  du  matiriel  suppl4mentaire 


□ 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 

Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  bast  possible  image/ 
Lee  peges  totalement  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  per  un  feuillet  d'srrata,  une  pelure, 
etc..  ont  4tt  filmiest  nouveau  de  fapon  i 
obt^lr  la  mellleure  ima^ia  possiblf . 


Mali 

diffi 
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r*T^  Additionel  comments:/ 

UcJ    Commentairea  supplAmantairaa: 


IRREQULAR  M6HIA 


[4l]-2».4. 


0.  . 


This  item  Is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  balow/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  da  reduction  indiquA  ci-dassoiia. 

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Tha  copy  filmed  h«ra  haa  b««n  raproducad  thanka 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

,      Metropolitan  Toronto  Library 
History  Department 

Tha  imagaa  appaaring.  Kara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
poaalbia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  iagibiiity 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  itaaping  with  the 
filming  contract  apacifioationa. 


Original  coplaa  in  printed  paper  ooviira  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  feat  page  with  a  printed  or  iliuatrated  imprea- 
aion,  or  tha  back  cover  when  eppropriate.  All 
other  original  copiea  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
firat  page  with  a  printed  or  iliuatrated  imprea- 
aion,  and  ending  on  the  iaat  page  with  a  printed 
or  iliuatrated  impreaaion. 


The  Iaat  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche       ^ 
ahali  contain  the  eymbol  — ^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  aymbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appiiee* 

IMapa.  pletea,  charta,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at      ^ 
different  reduction  ratioa.  Thoaa  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  expoaura  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framea  aa 
required.  The  follQ^ng  diagrama  illuatrate  the 
method:  a:^  : 


-i^' 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la    '  ^ 
gAn^roait*  da: 

(Metropolitan  Toronto  Library 
History  Department  • 

Lea  imagaa  auh/antea  ont  At*  reproduitea  avac  la 
plua  grand  aoin,  compta  tenu  de  ie  condition  et 
de  la  nettet*  de  Texempiaira  film*,  et  en 
conformiti  avec  lea  condltiona  du  contrat  de 
filrhage. 

Lea  exemplair#l'orlginaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  eat  IniprlmAe  aont  filmte  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  tef  minant  aoit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impreaaiori  ou  d'illuatration,  aoit  par  la  aacond 
plat,  aelon  Ie  caa.  Toua  lea  autrea  exempralraa 
origiriaux  aont  fiimte  en  comrnen^ant  par  la   . 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  line  empreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'illuatration  et  en  tf  rminant  par 
la  darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  t4lle 
empriinte. 

tin  dee  aymbolea  auhranfa  apparaftra  aur  la 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  aelon  Ie 
caa:  la  aymbole  -^  aignifie  "A  SUIVRE".  Ie 
aymbole  V  algnifie  "FIN".  v 

Lea  cartaa.  planchea,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  *tre 
filmia  A  dee  taux  da  rMuction  diffAranta. 
Loraqua  la  document  eat  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
reproduit  en  un  aaui  clichi,  ii  eat  film*  i  partir 
de  i'angle  aupAriaur  gauche,  de  gauche  h  droite, 
et  de  heut  en  baa,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'imagea  nAcaaaaira.  Lea  diagrammea  auivanta 
illuatrent  la  mithode. 


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DAHKOTA'5    L^"^' 


,;.  :il8T0RY  OF*THe'fUR  TRABERsIf  THE  EXTREME  ^ 


DURING  THE 


FRENCH  AND  BRITISH  DOMINIONS,^^ 


By  EDW.    p.    NETLL, 

•SBOEMAKT  OF  TH.  MINNI«>TA  UI8TOW0AI,  SOCMTV. 


T-'>^ 


"  N«ir«r,  and  «Tcr  nearer.  amonK  tho  mmii>ei:t.-8H  Irfanrt. 
Dtirted  a  UkIiI,  swift  boat,  that  sped  a«;ay  o'or  the  water, 
U^^  o„  ««  cour.  by  tho  Kin-w^  ann.  of  h„nto«  and  trapperK^      ^ 
NoSward  ita^p^w  w««  turned,  t«  the.  Und  of  the  ^^2;^^^^^^,^, 


%' 


;•;' 


J. 


-5% 


PHILADELPfilA: 

B.   LIPPINtoOTT    &    CO. 

CHICAGO:   8.  0.  GRIGGS  A  00. 

AND  BOOKSBLUBpUS  OJNBRAIiLY. 

1869. 


M^ 


lA    - 


1      A^  X 


!?%< 


•,'  If 


llftUO-o 


\ 


Bntered,  aoeording  to  Aot  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  bj 

EDWARD  DUFFIELD  NKIU; 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Conrt  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsjlrania. 

HUBS  a  DusnraiBT,   BTBunmns. 


.  'iliiH  a,  i  Artji  4a  J,a  » .V  WUWi  ^ .  A''*'iia-w 


\ 


'# 


ot  of  Penneiylvania. 


The  following  pages  form  the  first  part  of  "Nktll's  History  of  Min- 
NKSOTA,  from  the  Earliest  Exploration  to  the  Present  Time." 

The  entire  work  makes  an  octavo  of  628  pages.  Printed  on  fine 
-paper,  and  bound  in  muslin.    Price  per  copy,  $2  50. 

Published  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  &  Co.,  Pliiladelphia ;  and  for  sale  by 
S.  C.  Gbiqos  &  Co.,  Chicago ;  and  Booksellers  generally. 


"  s 


..<^-^ 


/ 


*v 


1 


-'/'■ 


"^^^t^B^. 


v#- 


•¥ 


DAKOTAH   LAND 


AND  ' 


DAKOTAH     LIFf;%": 


CHAPTEB   I. 

Minnesota  is  the  "land  of  the  Dahkotahs."  'Long 
be^bre.  their  existence  was  known  to  civilized  men,  they 
wandered  tjirough  the  forests,  between  Lake  Superior 
and  the  Mississippi,  in  quest  of  the  bounding  deer,  and 
over  the^airies  beyond  in  search  of  the  ponderous 

buffalo.  ^^°    ' 

They  are  an  entirely  different  group  from  the  Algon- 
qum  and  Iroquois,  who  were  found  by  the  early  settlers 
of  the  Atlantic  States,  on  the  banks  of  the  Qoimecticut, 
Mohawk,  and  Susquehanna  rivers.  Their  language  is 
much  more  difficult  to  comprehend;  and,  wt^e  they 
have  many  customs  in  common  with  the  tribes  who 
once  dwelt  in  New  England,  New  York,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Illinois,  they  have  peculiarities  which  mark  them 
as  belonging  to  a  distinct  family  of  the  aborigines  of 

America. 

Winona,  Wapashaw,  Mendota,  Anoka,  Kasota,  Mah- 
kahto,  and  other  names  designating  the  towns,  hamlets, 
and  streams  of  Minnesota,  are  words  delved  from  the 
Dahkotah  vocabulary. 

Between  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  and  the  Missis- 

4  -  (49) 


'-'r 

'. 

„    ;i 

- 

-1       :' 

V 

^ 

.r 

«Btm>  n^*"***^ ' 


(^(•S 


►        -^""i       ^;^      IS",  -^ji  --ii;;?^ 


■'   ■ 


50 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


sippi  river,  above  the  Falls  of  Saint  Anthony,  is  a 
country  of  many  lakes.  So  numerous  aie  they,  and 
interlaced  by  clear  and  sparkling  brooks,  to  an  aeronaut 
they  would  appear  like  a  necklace  of  diamonds,  on  silver 
filaments,  gracefully  thrown  upon  the  bosom  of  Earth. 

Surrounded  by  forests  of  the  sugar  maple — ^the  neigh- 
bouring marshes  fertile  in  ilie  growth  of  wild  rice — the  , 
waters  abounding  in  fish — the  shores  once  alive  with 
the  beaver,  the  otter,  the  bear,  and  the  fox— they  were 
sites  just  adapted  for  the  residence  of  an  Indian  popu- 
lation.' 

"When  the  Dahkotahs  were  first  noticed  by  the  Euro-  ' 
pean  adventurer,  large  numbers  were  occupying  this 
region  of  country,  and  appropriately  called"  by  the  voya- 
geur, ."  People  of  the  Lakes."  ^  And  tradition,  asserts 
that  here,  was  the  ancient  centre  of  this  tribe.  Though 
we  have  traces  of  their  warring  and  hunting  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  there  is  no  satisfactory  evid^jce, . 
of  their  residence,  east  of  the  Mille  Lac  region.'     ^f 

The  word  Dahketah,  by  whigh  they  love  to  be  desig- 
nated, signifies  allied  or  joined  together  in  friendly  com- 
pact, and  is  equivalent  to  ^/  E  pluribus  unum,"  the  motto 
on  the  seal  of  the  United  States. 

In  the  history  of  the  mission  at  La  I*ointe,  Wisconsin, 
published  nearly  two  centuries  ago,  a  writer,  referring 
to' the  Dahkotahs,  remarks: — 

"  For  sixty  leagues  from  the  extremity  of  the  Upper 
Lake,  toward  sunset;  and,  as  it  were  in  the  centre  of 


1        / 

.    ■    the  western  nations,  they  have  all  wilted  thmr 

'jorceby 

!      ': 

a  general  league." 

1  A/  . 

•  Gens  du  Lao. 

*  They  have  no  name  for  Lake  Superior. — G.  H.  Pond,  in 

"  Dahhotdh 

Thwaxitku  Kin."                                                                r. 

■ 

w\ 

-"  ■■.■  .-*     ■/■  ■■■' '    ■  . .  '  ■/■■■'  ■  ■'"; 

/          ■        ■                                                            '     T 

!                   .                 . 

4                                                  ^^B 

e'^Rf?»^i|s^jj^$^t^!"?»^'»T^"KVf?f^  "s""-  C  -"^A"*  fj  ?';^r  ?"  T'^^  "    inff^-"- 


/ 


f  ■ 


nd,  in  "  Ddkkotah 


THE  NAMES  SIOUX,  AND  bAHKOTAH. 


51 


The  Dahkotahs  in  the  earliest  documents,  and  even 
until  the  present  day,  are  calle^a  Sioux,  Scioux,  or  Soos.  . 
The  name  originated  with  the  early  *i  voyageurs."  -  Foi  ^ 
centuries  the  Ojibways  of  Lake  Superior  waged  Far 
against  the  Dahkotahs  j  an^,  whenever  they  spoke  ot 
them,  called  them  Na^owaysioux,  which  signifies  ene- 
mies. .    .  i^l.  .^       X- 

The  French  traders,  to  avoid  exciting  the  attention 
of  Indians,  while  conversing  in  their  presence,  were 
accustomed  to  designate  them  by  names,  which  would 
not  be  recognised.  -  .       • 

The  Dahkotahs  were  nicknamed  Sioux,  a  word  com^  . 
posed,  of  the  two  last  syllables,  of  the  Qjibway  word,  for 

foes.  -  . 

Charlevoix,  who  visited  Wisconsin  in  1721,  m  his 
history  of  New  France  says-:  "The  name  of  Siqux,  that 
we  give  to  these  Indians,  is  entirely^f  our  own  making, 
or  rather  it  is. the  last  two  syllables  pf  the  riame^  of 
Nadouessioux,  as  many  nations  call  them*" 

From  an  early  period,  there  -have  been  three  great 
divisions  of  this  people,  which  have  been,  subdivided 
into  smaller  bands.  The  first  are  called  the  Isanyati, 
the  Issati  of  Hennepin,  after  one  of  the  many  lakes 
at  the  head  waters  of  tlie  river,  marked  on  modem 
maps,  by  the  unpoetic  name  df  Rum.  It  is  aflserted  by 
Dahkotah -missionaries  now  living,  that  this  name  was 
given  to  the  lake  because  ^tfe  stone  from  which  th^ 
manufactured  the  knife  (isan)  was  here  obtained.  -The 
principal  band  of  the  Isanti  wasl^e  M'dewakanton-' 
wan.'  In  the  Journal  of  Le  Sueur,  they  are  spoken 
of  as  residing  on  a- lake  east  of  tie  Mississippi.     Tra- 

>  Pronounced  aa  if' written  Meddaj«wawkawn-twawn. 


x> 


<i«(> 


l< 


* 

52 


HISTORY  OP  MINl^SC^TA. 


V 


I 


dition  says  that'it  was  a -day's  walk  from  Isatitamde  or 
Knife  Lake.  '   ,  •       ."  ^ 

On  a  map  prepared  in  Paris  in  1703w-Rum  Riv«r  is 
called  the   river  of  the  M'dewakantonwans,  and  the  '  '^ 
Spirit  I^e  on  which  they  dwelt,  was,  without  doubt,     ' 
Mille  Lac  of  modem  charts.  ^  ^^»> 

The  -second  great  division  is  the  Ihanktonwan,  com- 
monly called  Yankton.  They  appear  to  have  occupied 
th^  region  west  of  the  M'dew^antonT^an^  and  north  of 
th,e  Minnesota^  river.  The  geographer  De  Lisle  places 
their  early  residence  in  the  vicinity  of  Traverse  des 
Sioux,  exten^g  northward.  -      ' 

The  last  division,^  the  Titonwan,  hunted  west  of  the  \ 
Ihanktons,  and  all  the  early  maps  mark  their  villages^ 
at  Lac-qui-parle  and  Big  Stone  Lak;e.^  ^     ' 

Hennepin,  ^in  August,  1679,  in  the  vjdnity  of  the    ^ 
Falls  of  Niagara,  met  the  S^ecas  retumiiig  from  war 
with  the  Dahkotahs,  and  with  thpm  some  captive  Tift- 
tonwa^s  (Teetwawns). 

i^his  division  is  now  the  most  numerous,  and  comprises 
about  one-half  of  the  whole  nation.  They  have  ,wan- 
.dered  to  the  plains  beyond  the  Missouri,  and  are  the,  + 
plundering  Arabs  of  America.  Whenever  they  appear  - 
in  sight  of  the  eiiii^ant  train,  journeying  to  the  Pa^cific 
cofi&t,  the  hearts  of  the  company  are  filled  with  pamful 
apprehensions.  .  ^      .  '        ^    .      -    > 

North  of  the  Dahkota^,  on  LakS  of  the  Woods  find 
the  watercourses  connecting  it  with  Lake  Superior, 
were  the  Assiniboine.  These  were  once  a  portion  of  tha 
nation.  Before  the  other  divisions  of  the  Datkotahs  ' 
.had  traded  with  the  French,  th^  had  borne  tjipir  pel- 
tries to  the  English  post.  Fort  Nelson,  on  Hudson's  Bay, 
and  ^ad.  ifeceived  iii  return  British  manufactures.     By    > 


z^i 


:# 


•»■■■■ 


v^f.. 


"^y*! 


DIFFERENT  DAHKOTAH  BANDS. 


53 


aadQciation  with  the  English,  they  learned  to  look  upon  -     ' 
the  French  w^th  distrust,  and  in  time  to  J)a  hostile 
towards'  those  who    had  formed   alliances  with  the 

French.  ,  '   '       .      ^  ' 

Le  Sueur  writes,  in  ^lation  to  then-  sepaTation  from 
the  rest^  the  nation,- in  these  words  :-^  ' 

"  TheAssii^po^speak  Scioux,  and  are  certainly  of 
that  nation..  It  is  only  a  few  years  sinpe  they  became  . 
enemies,     mhus  origina|ed :  The  Christianai^x  having 
the  use  of.  arms  fcefore  tie  Scioux,  through  the  English 
at  Hudson's- Bay, ^they  constantly  warred  upon  the 
Asssinipoils,  wfco  were  their  nearest  neighbours.  .  The      ^ 
latter  being  weak  sued  for  peace,  ajid,  to  render  it  more 
lig,  married,  the  Ghriatianaux  women.    The  pother 
Scioux,  w:ho  had^  not  made  the  compact,  continued  to 
war,  and  seeing  ^meChristianaux  with  the  Assinipoils,-  . 
broke  theii;  heads.'!    After  this  there  was  aUenation.    A 
letter,  however,  written  at  Fort  Bourbon,  on  Hudson's 
Bay,  about  169^,  remarks  :"^atis  said  that  the  Assim-  ^ 
boins  are  a  nation  of  the  Sioux,  which  separated  from 

^hem  a  lemg  Urns  ago."  *     ,  ^ 

The  Dahkbtahs  xjall  the^^alienated  tribes  Hohays,  ^ 

and  make  woman  the  cause  of  the  separation. «.  They     ., 
ore  said  to  have  belonged  to  the  B^anktonwan  (Yankton) 

-division  of  the  nation.  Ac  quajrrel,  tradition  asserts, 
•  ^ccuTred  between  two^^famili^s  hunting  at  the  time  in 
the  vicinity  of  Lake  Traverse.  A  young  man  Seduced 
the  wife  of  one  of  the  warriors.  The  injured  J|iisbW, 
in  attempting  to  rescue  his  wife,  was  killed  in  the  tent 
of  the  seducer.  His  fetherund  some  relatives^anted 
to  secur?  the -corpse.  ^  the  road,  they  were  met,  by 
'spme  of  the  friends  of  the  guilty  yoUth^and  three  qf 

^their  number  were  killed.'   The  father  then  turned  back 


•v. 


.    <^ 


m-' 


,y 


54 


* 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


■•*:■.■ 


and  raised  a  party  of  sixty  warriors,  who  waged  war 
against  the  seducer ,  and  his  friends,  which  conthiued 
until  the  whole  band  were  iiivolved,  and  ended  in  a 
revolt  upon  the  part  of  \he  aggressor  and  h^  friends,  who 
in  time  became  a  separate  people. 

In  the  valleys  of  the  Blue  Earth,  the  Des  Moines,  and 
the  eastern  tributaries  of  the  Missouri,  within  the  limits 
of  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  there  also  dwelt  in  ancient 
days  bands  of  the  loways,  Ottoes,  Cheyennes,  Aricarees,  tf 
and  Omahaws,  who  sought  other  hunting-grounds  as 
the  Dahkotahs  advanced  westward.  "   ^ 

The  Dahkotahs,  like  all  ignorant  and  barbarous  peo- 
ple, have  but  little  reflection  beyond  that  necessary  to 
gratify  the  pleasure  of  revenge  and  of  the  appetite. 

It  would  be  strange  to  find  heroes  among  skulking 
savages,  or  maidens  like  "Minnehaha"  of  the  poet, 
among  those  whose  virtue  can  be  easily  purchased. 
While  there  ai^  exceptions,  the  general  characteristics 
of  the  Dahkotahs,  and  aU  Indiansj  are  indolence,  im- 
purity, and  indifference  to  the  future. 

The  religion' of  this  people  is  exceedingly  indistinct, 
and  with  reluctance  do  they  converse  on  the  subject. 
That,  a  nation  so  low  in  the  scale  of  humanity  should 
have  preserved  the  idea  of  one  great  "spirit,  the  father 
of  all  spirits,  the  supreme  and  most  perfect  of  beings, 
is  not  to  be  supposed.  To  attribute  to  them  more 
elevated  conceptions  than  those  of  the  cultivated  Athe- 
nians, is  perfect  absurdity.  The  Dahkotahs,  in  their 
religious  belief,  are  polytheists.  The  hunter,  as  he 
passes  over  the  plains,  &ids  a  granite  boulder :  he  stops 
and  prays  to  it,  for  it  is  "  TTawAwMTn"— mysterious  or 
supernatural.  At  another  time,  he  will  pray  to'  his 
<lng ;  imd  at  another  tune,  to  the  Bun,  moon,  or  Btara. 


'  ^.jibUi  JihiS  U-^". 


'^V  J.i^'-mii   ^■'iLi™ft.».i.i^S..i.i^t,4i^ikffl&4s»l^W*L..'«.« 


S^^-iii 


•»-■ 


DAHKOTAH  WORSHIP  AND  GODS. 


'     Si 
55 


In  every  leaf,  in  every  stone,  in  every  «brub  there  is  a 
.  spirit,  'it  may  be  said  of  them,  as  Cotton  Mat^^^^^ 
of  the  Massachusetts^Indians,  m  his  Life  of  Ehot .     All 
the  religion  they  have  amounts  to  thus  much:  they 
believe  that  there  are  many  gods,  who  mdde  and  own 
the  several  nations  of  the  world.    They  beheve  that 
every  remarkable  creature  has  a  peculiar  god  withm  or 
about  it;  there  is  with  them  a  sun  god  or  a  moon  god 
and  the  Uke ;  and  they  cannot  conceive  but  that  the  fire 
must  be  a  kind  of  god,  inasmuch  as  a  spark  of  it  wil 
soon  produce  veiy  strange  effects.     They  Mieve  that 
when  any  good  or  ill  happens  to  them,  there  is  the 
favour  or  anger  of  a  god  expressed  in  it." 

The  Dahkotahs  have  greater  and  minor  deities,  and 
they  are  supposed  to  multgply  as  men  and  animals,  and 
the  superior  to>ve  p#er  to  exterminate  the  inferior 

The  Jupiter  Maximus  of  the  Dahkotahs  is  styled 
Oanktayhee.  As  the  ancient  Hebrews  avoided  speak- 
ing the  name  of  Jehovah,'  so  they  dislike  to  speak  the 
n^e  of  this  deity,  but  call  him  "Taku-wakan,  or 
«  That  which  is  supernatural."  This  mighty  god  mani- 
fests himself  as  a  Ijirge  ox.  His  eyes  are  as  large  aa  the 
moon.  He  can  haul  in  his  horns  and  tail,  or  he  can 
lengthen  them,  as  he  pleases.  From  him  proceed  ij^- 
visible  influences,    In  his  extremities  reside  mighty 

powers. 

He  is  said  to  have  created  the  earth.  Assembbng  m 
grand  conclave  all  of  the  aquatic  tribes,  he  ordered  them 
to  bring  up  dirt  from  beneath  the  water,  and  proclauned 
death  to  the  disobedient.  The  beaver  and  others  for- 
feited their  lives.  At  last  the'  muskrat  went  beneath 
the  waters,  and,  after  a  long  time,  appeared  at  the  sur- 
face nearly  exhausted,  with  som^  dirt.     From  this, 


-ira-   ; 


m 


M,*'At^ibm^i.''-iL> fi^-     ^^  -..>&.<^  ^^l,^b£^^ 


ffH^-F^  '■T"se^s|:^u^4i-v;^^T-^|^?!«v-i'-  ■fi-^f'T^       f  -,  -.  c  pp  iv^p^r.  ^Bw^    J.   ^7j 


s 


56 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


Oanktayhee  faehioned  the  earth*  into  a  large  circular 

plain. 

The  earth  being  finished,  he  took  a  deity,  one  of  his 
own  oflfepring,  and  grinding  him  to  powder,  sprinkled  It 
upon  the  earth,  and  this  produced  many  worms.  The 
worms  were  then  collected  and  scattered  again.  They 
matured  into  infants ;  and  these  were  then  collected  and 
scattered  andl)ecame  full-grown  Dahkotahs. 

The  bones  of  the  mastodon,  the  Dahkotahs  think,  are 
those  of  Oanktayhee,  and  they  preserve  them  with  the 
greatest  care  in  the  medicine  bag.  It-  is  the  belief  of 
the  Dahkotahs  that  the  Eev.  R.  Hopkins,  who  was 
drowned  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  on  July  4th,  1851,  was 
killed  by  Oanktayhee,  who  dwells  in*  the  waters,  because 
he  had  preached  against  him. 

This  deity  is  supposed  to  have  a  dwelling-place 
beneath  the  Falls  of  Saint  Anthony.  A  few  years  ago, 
by  the  sudden  breajdng  up  of  a  gorge  of  ice,  &  cabin 
near  Fort  SneUing,  containing  a  soldier,  was  swept  off 
by  the  flood.  The  Dahkotahs  supposed  that  this  great 
god  was  descending  the  river  at  the  time,  and,  being 
hungry,  devoured  the  man. 

Hat-o-kah  (the  aniirnaiurcil  god) . — -There  are  four  per- 
sons in  this  godhead.  The  first  appears  like  a  tall  and 
slender  man  with  two  faces,  like  the  Janus  of  ancient 
mythology.  Apollo-like,  he  holds  a  bow  in  his  hand 
streaked  with  red  lightning,  also  a  rattle  of  deer  claws. 
The  second  is  a  little  old  man  with  a  cocked  hat  and 
enormous  ears,  holding  a  yellow  bow.  The  third,  a  man 
■with  a  flute  suspended  fi*om  his  neck.  ThR  fourth  is 
invisible  and  mysterious,  and  is  the  gentle  zeph3f|^|iich 
Ivends  the  gnuss  and  causes  the  ripple  of  the  waSIC 

iUyoikailk^  is  a  perfect  paradox.   He  oaUs  bitter  sweet, 


f».«:ii 


HAYOKAH,  AND  OTHER  DEITIES. 


57 


%  large  circular 


r 

and  sweet  bitter;  he  groans  when  he  is  full  of  joy;  ho 
laughs  when  he  is  m  distress ;  he  calls  blaxik,  white,  and 
white,  black ;  when  he  wishes  to  tell  the  truth  he  speaks 
a  he,  and  when  he  desires  to  lie,  he  speaks  the  truth ;  in 
winter  he  goes  naked,  and  in  summer  he  wraps  up  m 
buffalo  robes.  The  Uttle  hills  on  the  prairies  are  caUed 
Hay-o-kah-tee,  or  the  house  of  Hay-o-kah.  Those  whom 
he  inspires,  can  make  the  winds  blow  and  the  rain  fafl, 
the  grass  to,  grow  and  wither. 

There  is  said  to  exist  a  clan  wbo  especially  adore  this 
deity,  and  at  times  dance  in  his  honour.  At  dawn  of  day 
they  assemble  withm  a  teep6e,  in  the  centre  of  which  is 
u  fire,  over  which  are  suspended  kettles.  With  cone- 
shaped  hats  and  ear-rings,  both  made  of  bark,  and  loms 
girded  with  the  same  material,  they  look  like  incarnate 
demons.  On  their  hats  are  aigzag  streaks  of  paint- 
representations  of  lightning. 

The  company  remain  seated  and  smoking  around  the 
fire,  until  the  w^ter  in  the  kettle  begins  to  boil,  which 
is  a  signal  for  the  commencement  of  the  dance.     The 
excitement  now  becomes  intense.    They  jump,  shout, 
and  sing  around  the  fire,  and  at  last  plunge  their  hands 
into  the  cauldron,  seize  and  eat  the  boiled  meat.     Then 
they  throw*  the  scalding  water,  on  esph.  others  backs, 
the  sufferers  never  wincing,  but  insisting  that  it  is  cold. 
Taku-shkan-shkan.— This  deity  is  supposed  to  be 
invisible,  yet  everywhere  present.   He  is  full  of  rey|f  ge, 
exceedhigly  wrathful,  very  deceitful,  and  a  seardier  of 
hearts.     His  favourite  haunts  ore  the  four  winds,  and 
the  gramilboulders  strewn  on  the  plains  of  Minnesota. 
He  is  ^ver  m  happy  m  when  he  beholds  scalps,  warm 
and  reeking  with  blood.  a  -  . 

Thfi  object  of  that  strange  ceremony  of  the  Dahko- 


% 


«iAk<»4u^I*l^ 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA.  .. 

tabs,  in  whkh  the  perfornier  being  bound  hand  and  foot 
with  the  greatest  care,  is  suddenly  unbound  by  an  invi- 
sible agent,  is  to  obtain  an  interview  with  Taku-shkan- 

shkan.  *  .  .  .    ° 

The  name  of  another  one  of  the  superior  divinities 
is  Wahkeenyan.  His  tSSpSS  is  supposed  to  be  on  a 
mound  on  the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  in  the  far  West. 
The  t5SpS&  or  tent  has  four  openings,  with  sentinels 
clothed  in  red  down.  A  butterfly  is  stationed  at  the 
east,  a  bear  at  the  west,  a  fawn  at  the  south,  and  a 
reindeer  at  the  north  entrance.  He  is  supposed  to  be 
a  gigantic  bird,  the  flapping  of  whose  wings  makes 
thunder.  He  has  a  bitter  entoity  agamst  Oanktayhee, 
and  attempts  to  kill  his  ofifepring.  The  high  water  a 
few  years  ago  was  supposed  to  be  caused  by  his  shooting 
through  the  earth,  and  allowing  the  water  to  flow  out. 
When  the  lightning  strikes  their  t56p66s  or  the  ground, 
they  think  that  Oanktayhee  was  near  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  and  that  Wahkeenyan,  in  great  rage,  fired  a  hot 
thunderbolt  at  him. 

By  him  wild  rice,  is  said  to  have  been  created,  also 
the  spear,  and  tomahawk. 

A  bird  of  thunder  was  once  killed,  the  Indians  assert, 
near  Kaposia.  Its  face  resembled  the  human  counte- 
nance. Its  nose  was  hooked  like  the  bill  of  an  eagle. 
Its  wings  had  four  joints,  and  zigzag  like  the  lightning. 
About  thirty  miles  from  Big  Stone  Lake,  near  the 
head  waters  of  the  Minnesota,  there  are  several  small 
lakes  bordered  with  oak-trees.  This  is  the  supposed 
birth-plaoe  of  the  Thunder  Bird,  and  is  called  the  Nest 
of  Thunder.  The  first  step  the  spirit  ever  took  in  this 
world  was  equal  to  that  of  the  hero,  in  the  child's  story, 
who  wore  seven-league  boots,  being  twenty-five  miles  in 


Tenjgth.    A  rock  B  pointed  out  wMcfi  Baa  a  W)frl 


5v  -;iZ^Sf^P?^f\J^' 


■^■- 


WAHKEENYAN.-THUNDER  5lRD. 


59 


been  created,  also 


impression,  which  they  say  is  l^ls  tr<«>k ;  and  the  hill  is 
called  Thunder  Tracks.  -  ,        , 

..A  son  of  Colonel  Snelling,  the  first  cdmnmider  of 
je  fort  of  that  name,  in  a  poem,  which  «  P»bhshed  m 
iswold's  coU&tim  of  American  poetry,  aUudes  to  the 
1  foregoing  incidents : —  , 

"  The  moon  that  night  withheld  her  light. 
By  fits,  instead,  a  lurid  glare 
Illumed  the  skies ;  whUe  mortal  eyes 
Were  closed,  and  voices  rose  in  prayer 
While  the  revolving  sun 
Three  times  his  course  might  run, 
The  dreadful  darkness  lasted ; 
And  all  that  time  the  red  man's  eye 
A  sleeping  spirit  might  espy,  ^ 

Upon  a  tree-top  iradled  high, 

Whose  trunk  his  breath  had  blasted. 
So  long  he  slept,  he  grew  so  fast. 

Beneath  his  weight  the  gnarlM  oak 
Snapped,  as  the  tempest  snaps  the  mast: 

^        It  fell,  and  Thunder  woke  1 
The  world'to  its  foundation  shook. 
The  grizaly  bear  hi8j)rey  forsook,  >^ 

,The  scowUng  heave?i  an  aspect  bore 
That  man  had  never  seen  before ;  , 

The  wolf  in  terror  fled  away. 
And  shone  at  last  the  light  of  day. 

"  'Twas  here  he  stood ;  these  lakes  attest  . 

Where  first  Waw-km-an'b  footsteps  press'd... 

About  his  burning  brow  a  cloud, 
Black  as  the  raven's  wing,  he  wore ; 

Thick  tempests  wrapt  him  like  a  shroud, 
Rfed  lightning*  in  his  hand  he  bore } ' 

Like  two  bright  suns  his  eyeballs  shone, 

His  voice  was  like  the  cannon's  tone ; . 

And,  where  he  breathed,  the  land  became, 
•   Prairie  and  wood,  one  sheet  of  flame. 

..    "  Not  long  upon  *Mt  ttonntain  height  ^"• 

The  first  and  worst  of  storms  abode, 


^ 


i 


IM^ 


s^\ 


^TT- 


^PS-S^*^  *!*'  t*  i*  ts*^  fitf    *•,     ">Tt»y    '^''^'^^••-^'f^if/tp-^^r''^  tr^'-^-'^f>   ",   •»"  *    J  "** ■' >- 7'j '5  "        cf  F       *i    ^-t 


QO  HISTORY  Of  MINNESOTA. 

For,  npiOTing  in  his  fearful  might, 

Abroad  the  Goivbegotten  strode. 
Afar,  on  yonder  faint  blue  mound, 
In  the  horizon's  utmost  bound, 
At  the  first  stride  his  foot  he  set ; 

The  jarring  world  confessed  the  shock. 
Stranger  I  the  track  of  "Thunder  yet 
-    Remains  upon  the  living  rook. 

"  The  second  step,  he  gained  the--sand 
*         •         On  far  Superior's  storm-beat  strand :  ^ 

Then  with  his  shout  the  concave  rung, 
As  up  to  heaven  the  giant  sprung 

On  high,  beside  his  sire  to  dwell ; 
But  still,  of  all  the  spots  on  earth, 
He  loves  the  woods  tibat  gave  him  birth. — 
l^oh  is  the  talo  our  fiEithers  tell."  ^ 

After  an  individual  has  dreamed  in  relation  to  the 
sun,  there  are  sacred  ceremonies.  Two  persons  are  the 
participants,  who  assume  a  pecu^iaa^-«tti|ude.  Almost 
naked,  holding  a  small  whistle  in  their  mouths,  they 
look  towards  the  sun,  and  dance  with  a  strange  and 
awkward  step.  One  of  their  interpreters  remarks, 
"  The  nearest  and  bes.t  comparison  I  can  make  of  them 
when  worshipping,  is  a  frog  held  up  by  the  middle  with 
its  legs  half  drawn  up." 

During  the  continuance  of  the  ceremony,  which  may 
last  two  or  three  days,  the  parties  fast. 

When  a  Dahkotah  is  troubled  in  spirit,  and  desires  to 
be  delivered  from  real  or  imaginary  danger,  he  will  select 
a  stone  that  is  round  and  portable,  and,  placing  it  in  a 
spot  free  fi«m  grass  and  underbrush,  he  will  streak  it 
with  red  pamt,  and,  offering  to  it  some  feathers,  he  will 
pray  to  it  for  help.  The  stone,  after  the  ceremony  is 
over,  does  not  appear  to  be  regarded  with  veneration. 
If  yidtors  request  them,  they  can  be  obtained. 


,. »1 


®^*f??5^  ^VA^*^^wr 


SACRED  MEN  INITIATED. 


^ 


QHAPTER  II. 


a 


In  all  nations  where  the  masses  are  unenEghtened, 
aeir  spintual  nature  is  uncpltivated,  and  they  believe 
whatever  a  class  of  men  pretending  to  have  authority 
)m  the  spuit  world,  may  impose  upon  them.      AU 
Ignorant  communities  are  superstitious  and  easily  pnesi- 
Kdden.     The  early  Britons  looked  upon  the  Druids,  as 
L  supernatural,  and  wonder-working  class,  and  they 
Fed  and-  feared  them.     The  Wawkawn,  or  medicme 
imen  hold  the  same  relation  to  the  Dahkotahs  as  the 
iDruids  to  the  ancient  Britons.      They  are  the  most 
)owerful  and  influential  of  the  tribe.     They  are  looked 
ipon  as   a  species  of  demi-gods.     They  assert  their 
jrigm  to  be  miracutous.  "  At  first  they  are  spiritual 
existences,  encased  in  a  seed  of  some  description  of  a 
cringed  nature,  like  the  thistle.     Wailed  by  the  breeze 
lix)  the  dwelling-place  of  the  gods,  they  are  received  to 
[intimate  communion.     After  being  mstructed  m  rela- 
tion  to  the  mysteries  of  the  spirit  world,  they  go  forth 
to  study  the 'Character  of  aU  tribes.    After  deciding 
upon  a  residence,  they  entor  the  body  of  some  one 
about  to  become  a  mother,  and  are  ushered  by  her  mto 
the  world.  A  great  majority  of  the  M'dewakantonwans 
I  are  medicine  men.  ^ 

When  an  individual  dearea  to  belong  te  this  pnest- 

-*—"—'■"       i.)^~..i- 11-11.       .1.1-       1.1     I.    ...—..ui— -,■■■■,— , ■  i.,...i.Mi.i.i.i  .-.I    ■■■■■— ■■—■I.I  —■■Ml".™..'— —■■■-■■■—  11        I 


# 


'? 

*■ 


— ?^- 


i 


..   'U 


■i'wmifm.fvi^ff^  If 


Q2  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

hood,  lie  is  initiated  by  what  is  termed  a  "medicine 
dance"  This  dance  is  said  to  have  been  mstituted 
br  Danktayhee;  the  patron  of  medicine  meli  The 
editor  of  the  "Dahkotah  J^riend,"  m  a  descnption  of 

this  dance,  remarks :—        *"        .     ,  .'       xv*         •  *' 
"When  a  member  is  to  be  received  mto  this  society, 
it  is  his  duty,  to  take  the  hot  bath,  four  days  in  succes- 
sion     In  the  mean  tune,  some  of  the  elders  of  the 
society  instruct  him  in  the  mysteries  of  the^medicine,    - 
and  Wahmnoo-Aah-sheU  in  the  throat.     He  ib  also    , 
provided  with  a  dish  (wojute)  and  spoon.    On  the  side 
of  the  dish  is  sometimes  carved  the  head  of  some  vora- 
cioiis  animal,  in  which  resides  the  spirit  of  Eeyah  (glut- 
ton god)     This  dish  is  always  carried  by  its  owner  to 
the  medicine  feast,  and  it  is  his  duty,  ordinarily,  to  eat 
m  which  is  served  up  in  it.     Gray  Iron  has  a  dish 
which  was  given  him  at  the  time  of  his  imtiation,  on 
the  bottom  of  which  ,is  carved,  a  bear  complete.     Ihe 
candidate  is  also  instructed  with  what  pamts,  and  m 
what  manner,  he  shall  paint  hunself,  which  must  always 
be  the  same,  when  he  appears  in  the  dance.     There  is 
supematoal  virtue  in  this  paint^and  the  manner^m 
which  it  is  applied;  and  those  who  have  not  been  fur- 
nished with  a  better,  by  the  regular  war  prophets,  wear 
it  into  battle,  as  a  life-preserver.     The  bag  contains 
besides,  the  claws  of  animals,  with  the  toanwan  of 
which  they  can,  it  is  believed,  inflict  painful  diseases 
and  death  on  whomsoever,  and  whenever,  they  desire. 

«  The  candidate  being  thus  duly  prepared  for  mitia- 
tion,  and  having  made  the  necessary  offerings  for  the 
benefit  df  the  institution,  on  the  evening  of  the  day  pre- 
vious to  the  dance  a  lodge  is  prepared,  and  from  ten  to 
twf>nty  nf  thft  more  substantial  members  pass  the  night^ 


I 


f 


/■v/ 


m 


s 


>r 


irvm 


- » 


/-^ 


MEDICINE  DANCE  AND  SONGS.  63 

in  singing,  dancing^  and  feasting.  In  the  morning,  the 
tent  is  opened  for  the  dance.  After  a  few  appropriate 
ceremonies  preliminary  to  the  grand  operation,  the  can- 
didate takes  his  place  on  a  pile  of  blankets  which  he 
has  contributed  for  the  occasion,  naked,  except  the 
breech-cloth  and  moccasins,  duly,  painted  and  prepared 
for  the  mysterious .  operation.  An  elder  having  been 
stationed  in  the  rear  of  the  novice,  the  master^  of  the 
ceremonies,  with  his  knee  and  hip  joints  bent  to  an 
angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees,  advances,  with  an 
unsteady,  unnatural  step,  with  his  bag  in  ,his  handy 
uttering,  "  Beeriy  heen,  /lee/i,"  with  great  energy,  and 
raising  the  bag  near  a  paiuted  spot  on  the  breast  of  the 
candidate,  gives  the  discharge,  the  person  stationed  in 
the  rear  gives  him  a  push  forward  at  the  same  instant, 
and  as  he  falls  headlong  throws  the  blankets  over  him. 
Then,  while  the  dancers  gather  around  him  and  chant, 
the  master  throws  off  the  covering,  and,  chewing  a  piece 
of  the  bone  of  the  OanktayAee,  spirts  it  over  him,  and 
he  revives,  and  resumes  a  sitting  posture.  All  then 
return  to  their  seats  except  the  master ;  he  approaches, 
and,  making  indescribable  noises,  pats  upon  the  breast 
of  the  novice,  till  the  latter,  in  agonizing  throes,  heaves 
up  the  Wahmnoo-Aah  or  shell,  which  falls  from  his 
mouth  upon  the  bfitg  which  had  been  previously  spread 
before  him  for  that  purpose.  Life  being  now  comjJtetely 
restored,  and  with  the  mysterious  shell  in  his  open 
hand,"  the  new-made  member  passes  around  and  exhi- 
bits it  tb  all  the  members  and  to  the  wondering  by- 
stand^s,  and  the  ceremonies  of  initiation  are  closed. 
The  dance  continues,  interspersed  with  shooting  each 
other,  rests,  smoking,  and  taking  refreshments,  till  they 
have  jumped  to  the  muBic  of  four  Beta  of  singers.    Be- 


8f ^FWr-p*--'  ^"i.^lif^tx^f'^r^^ri 


l-?|:»'s?-'^-ift^v-v~ 


.r^- 


X 


i ' 


ei 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


sidies  vocal  music,  they  make  use  of- the  drum  aad  the 
gourd-shell  rattle..  The  following  chants,  which  are 
used  in  iie  dance,  will  best  exhibit  the  charac^^er  of 
this  myierioua  institution  of  the  Oanktay^ee :— ^ 

"  Waduta  ohna  micage. 

Waduta  ohna  micage.  /* 

^    Miniyata  ite  wakan  de  maqu,  • 


Tunkanizdan. 


V 


"  He  created  it  for  me  endlosed  in  red  down.       ^ 
He  created.it  for  me  enolosed  in  red  down. 
He  in  the  water  with  a  mysterious  visage  gave  me  this, 
^  My  grandfather. 

w' 
<  "  Tunkanizdan  pejihuta  wakan  micage. 

He  wioake. 
Miniyata  oicage  wakan  kin  maqu  ye,       \ 

Tunkanizdan  ito  kin  yuwinta  wo.  ^ 

Wahutopa  yuha  ite  yuwinto  wo.  •' 

"  My  papdfather  created  for  me  mysterious  me,dioine,  \ 
''  That  is  true. 

The  mysterious  being  in  the  water  gave  it  to  me. 

Stretch  out  your  hand'  before  the  face  of  my  grandfather, 
Having  a  quadruped,  stretch  out  your  hand  before-  him." 

The  medicine  pouch  is  the  skin  of  an  otter,  fox,  or 
similar  animal,  contai^g  eertor  aa^cles  which  are 
held  sacred. 

;  A  warrior  leaving  his  village  to  hu^t,  gave  his  pouch 
to  a  friend  of  the  writer,  whoJhad  dwelt  as  a  missionary 
aaioiig  the  Dahkot^hs  for  a  Kore  of  years.  l!he  owner 
having  died,  he  retained  it,  and,  being  at  his  house  one 
day,  it  was,  at  my  request,  opened.  The  contents  were 
some  dried  mud,  a  dead  beetle,  a  few  roots,  and  a  scrap 
of  an  old  .letter,  which  had  probably  been  picked  up. 
about  the  walk  of  Fort  Snelling. 

WhflTft  ihft  floimaoe  of  medicine  Ig  not  understood,  the 


j^*^% 


,.f 


^■m^-^r^,: 


^■% 


) 


PRACTICE  OP  MEDICINE.— VAPOUR  BAi'H. 


66 


r 


]»Kabitants  sUte  very  superstitious  concerning  t]ie  sick.  . 
Those  who  are  prominelit  in  their  devotion  to  thei^acred 
rites  of  a  heathen  tribe^  generally  act  as  physicians: 
The  Druids  of  the  early  Britons  performed  the  duties 
of  doctors,  and  the  conjurers,  or  medicine  men,  as  they 
are  generally  termed,  are  call^ji  to  attend  the  sick  Dah- 
kiptahs.f  This  tribe  of  Indians- are  -^ell  acquainted  with 
the  bones  of  thes^dy ;  but  no  Dr.  Hunter  has  yet  risen 
among  them  to  explain  the  circulation  ot  thef  blood,  and 
therefore  they  have  but  a  jingle  word  for  nerves,  arteries, 
and  veins.     When  a  young  man  jis  sick,  he  is  generally 
well  watched;   but  old  persons,  and  those  that  have 
some  defoamity,  are  often  neglected.     To  effect  a  cure, 
they  often   practise  what  is  called   steaming.     They 
erect  a  small  tent  covered  with  thick  buffalo  robes,  in  - 
which  they  place  some  hot  stone&  .Stripping  the  sick 
person  of  his  blanket,  they -plaffi' Him  in   the  tent. 
Water  is  then  thrown  upon  the  hm,  stones,  which  creates 
considerable  vapour.  After  the  patient  has  been  confined 
in  thii^  close  tent  for  some  time,  and) has  perspired  pro- 
fusely, they  occasionaWy  take  him  out  and  plunge  him 
into  the  paters  of  an  adjacent  river  or  lake. 

This  custom  is  very  ancient.  One  of  the  first  white 
men  who  appear  to  have  resided  amongst  them,  was  a 
Franciscan  pnest,  named  Hennepin.  He  was  made 
their  prisoner  in  the  year  1680,  while  travelling  on  the 
Mississippi,  aJDove  the  Wisconsin  river.  JThe  Dahkotahs 
took  him  to  their  villages  on  the  shores  of  Rum  river, 
at  Mille  Lac,  where  he  was  quartered  in  a  chief's  lodge^ 
whose  name  was  Aquipaguetin.  The  chief  observing 
that  Hennepin  was  much  fatigued,  ordered  an  oven  to  ' 
be  made,  which,  to  use  the  woMs  of  the  Franciscan,  - 
"ho  ordered  megH  enter,   stark  naked,  with  four 


/-■ 


.% 


.^f 


'«.'■ 


66 


HISTOBY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


I .  <. 


I  >^ 


ik 


.  rr 


f^Talo  hides,  and 

IS."   They 

jould.     As 

go   their 


savages.  The  oven  was  covered 
in  it  they  placed  red-hot  flint  an 
ordered  me  to  hold  mytreath 
soon  aa  the  savages  th&|  ^J 
breath,  which  they  did  wityl^pfeat  fopc^,  Aqnipaguetin 
began  to  sing.  The  others  seconded^him ;  and  laying 
their  hands  on  my  body  began  to  rub,  and  at  the  same 
time  cry  bitterly.,  I  was  near  fainting,  and  forced  to 
leave  the  oven.  At  my  coming  out,  I  could  scarcely ' 
take  up  my  cloak.  However,  they  con^ued  to  mdke 
me  sweat  thrice  a  week>  which  at  last  ^restored  me  to 
my  former  vigour." 

When  a  Dahkotah  is  very  sick,  the  friends  call  in  a 
conjurer  or  medicine  man.  Before  we  proceed,  it  is  ^ 
proper  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  term  ^'  medicine 
man."  Anything  that  is  mysterious  or  wonderful,  the 
Dahkotahs  call  "  WawkaWn."  The  early  explorers  and 
traders  in  Minn^ta  were  French,  and  .they  always 
call  a*  docto^  "  medecin."  As  the  Indian  doctors  are 
all  dealers 
last  obtai 
that  is      ^ 

man"  means,  then,  a  doctor  who  calls  to  his  aid  charms 

'  and  incantations.    The  medicine  men  are  divided,into 

war  prophets,  and  conjurers  or  doctors.  -  -' 

A  Dahkotah,  when  he  is  sick,  believes  that  he  is  po«- 
sessed  by  the  spirit  of  some  animal,  or  insect,-  or  enemy. 
The  medicine  men,  are  supposed  to  have  great  power  of 
J  suction  in  their  jaws,  by  wliich  they  can  draw  out  the 
spirit  that  afflicts  the  patient^  tod  thus  restore  him  to 
health.  .They  are  mjuch  feared  by  all  the  tribe.  The 
doctor  is  called  to  see  a  sick  person  by  sending  some  one 
with  a  present  qf  a  horse  or.  blankets,  or  something  as 


t0< 


iries,  thfl  Tford  ^medicine"  has  at 

signipyftion,  meaning  any  thin 
or  unaccountable.     A   "medicinev 


y. 


•     A- 


MEDICAL  PR4§nCE. 


•67 


valuable.  The  messenger  sometimes  carries  a  bell,  arid 
rings  around  the  lodge  until  the  awjurer  makes  his 
appe'drance;  at  other  times 'he  Keafp  to  the  doctor's 
lodge^'a  lighted  pipe,  and  prese^mg  it  to  him,  places 
his  hands  on  his^head  and  moans.l  ..    , 

"iThe  person  sent  to  call  on  the  docto*^trips  liimself 
for  running,  retaining 'only  his  bre^  cloth,  and  carry- 
ing a  bell.     He  enters  the  lodge,  fg|  without  further^i 
ceremony,  #kes  the  doctor- with  W  foot,  jingles  his" 
bell,  and  suddenly  issuing  from  the  1    ''^f^,  runs  with  all 
his  might  for  the  sick  man's  lodge,  w^  the  doctor  at 
his  heels.     If  the  latter  overtakes  and  kicks  him  before 
he  reaches, the  lodge,  fie  does  not  prof«»i  nvi^  furth^i* 
but  returns  home.     Another,  person  is  fcn  despatched, 
and  it  is  not  until  one  is  sesnt  who  is  too  swift  for  higi, 
that  the  doctor's  services  can  be  secured." 

The  doctor  haviiig  entered  the  tent,  without  touching 
the  patient,  begins  to' strip  himself,  leaving  nothing  upon 
his  body  but  the  breech  cloth,  and  moccasins.  Having 
obtained  a  sabred  tattle,  which  is  nothing  more  than  a 
dried  gou-rd,  filled  with  a  few  kernels  of  com,' or. beads, 
he  begins,  to  shake  and  sing  in  fcarthly  monotones.  - 
He  now  gets  upon  his  knees,  and,  to  use  a  vul^rism, 
"crawls,  on  all  fours,"  up  to  his  patient.  ,  After  a  few 
moments  we- see  him  rise  'again  retehing  violently,  and 
picking  up  a  bowl  o^  water  thrusts  his  face  therein,  and 
b^ns  to  make  a  gurgling  noise.  Into  this  bow^l  he 
^pesses  to  expectorate  the  spirit  which  has  incited  the  - 
disease.  The  doctor  having  decided  what  animal  has 
possessed  his  patient,  he  has  an  image  of  the  animal  made 
f)ut  of  bark,  and  placed  outside  near  the  t^nt  door  in  a 
vessel  of  water.  Mr,  Prescdtt,  United  States  Interpreter 
of  the  Dahkotahs,  in  acpmmupicatioii  upon  thiiaLSubiect 


1 


^ 


■::^  I :    -4 


I  ■'■% 


^ 


68 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


says :  "  The  animal  made  of  bark  is  to  be  shot.  Two 
or  three  Indians  are  in  waiting,  standing  near  the  bowl, 
with  loaded  guns,  ready  to  shoot  when  the  conjurer 
gives  the  signal.  To  be  sure  that  the  conjuring  shall 
have  ythe  desired  effect,  a  woman  must  stand  astride  the 
bowl,  when  the  men  fire  into  it,  with  her  dress  raised 
as  high  as  the  knees.  The  men  are  instructed  how  to 
act  by  the  conjurer;  and  as  soon  as  he  makes  his  ap- 
pearance out  j:i' doors,  they  all  fire  into  the  bowl,  and 
blow  thQ  little  bark  animal  to  pieces.  The  woman 
steps  aside,  and  the  juggler  makes  a  jump  at  the  bowl 
on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  commences  blubbering  in 
the  water.  While  this  is  going  on,  the  woman  has  to 
jump  oii  l^e  juggler's  back,  and  stand  thei^  a  moment ; 
then  she  gets  off,  and  as  soon  as  he  has  finished>iiw( 
incantations,  the  woman  takes  him  by  the  hair  of  his 
head,  and  pull's  him  back  into  the  lodge.  If  there  are- 
any  fragments  found  of  the  aiiimal  that  has  been  shot, 
they  are  buried.  If  this  does  not  cure,  a  similar  cere- 
mony Is  performed,  but  some  other  kind  of  animal  is 
shaped  out."  ^ 

Among  the  earliest  songs,  to  which  a  Dahkotah  child 
listens,  are  those  of  war.  As  soon  as  he  begins  to  totter 
About,  he  carries  as  a  plaything,  a  miniature  bow,  and 
arrow.  The  first  thing  he  is  taught,  as  great  an4  truly 
noble,  is  taking  a  scalp,  and  he  pants  to  perform  an  a«t, 
which  is  so  manly.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  is  often 
on  the  war  path.  When  a  boy  is  of  the  proper  age  to 
go  to  war,  he  is  presented  with  weapons,  or  he  makes  a 
war  club.  He  then  consecrates  certain  parts  of  animals, 
which*  he  vows,  not  to  eat.  After  he  lias  killed  an  enemy, 
he  is  at  liberty,  to  eat  of  any  one  of  those  j)ortion8  of  an 
animal,  from  which  he  agreed  to  abstain.    If  he  kills 


^i 


**«|u|i:,,,. 


^".       -V 


CRUELTY  TO  FOES. 


6d 


another  person,  the  prohibition  is  taken  off  from  another 
part,  until  finally  he  has  emancipated  himself  from  his 
oath,  by  his  bravery.  Before  young  men  go  out  on  a 
war  party,  they  endeavour  to  propitiate  the  patroil  deity 
by  a  feast.  During  the  hours  of  n^ght,  they'^'celebrate 
the  "  armour  feast,"  which  is  distinguished  by  druinming, 
singing,  and  agonizing  shrieks. 

The  war  prophets  or  priests,  by  the  narrating  of  pre- 
tended dreams,  or  Ijy  inspiring  oratory,  incite  the  tribe 
against  an  enemy.  If  a  party  are  successful  in  securing 
scalps,  they  paint  themselves  black,  and  return  home  in 
mad  triumph.  As  they  approach  their  village,  those 
who  are  there  run  forth  to  greet  them,  and  strip  them 
of  their  clothes,  and  supply  them  with  others.  The 
scalp  is  very  carefully  prepared  for  ^  exhibition,  being 
painted  red,  and  stretched  upon  a  hoop,  which  is  fastened 
to  a  pole.  If  the  scalp  is  from  a  man,  it  is  decked  with 
an  eagle's  feather,  if  from  a  woman,  with  a^omb.  At 
a  scalp  dance,  which  we  once  attended  at  Kaposia,  the 
braves  stood  on  one  side  of  the  circle,  drumming  and 
rattling,  and  shouting  a  monotonous  song,  reminding 
one  of  a  song  of  chimney  sweeps  of  a  ci^^^  The 
women,  standing  opposite  to  the  men,  advanced  and 
retreated  from  the  men,  squeaking  in  an  unearthly  man- 
ner, a  86rt  of  chorus.  This  is  the  chief  dance,  in  which 
the  women,  engage.  If  a  scalp  is  taken  in  summer,  they 
dance  until  the  falling  of  the  leaves ;  if  in  winter,  u^til 
the  leaves  begin  to  appear.  When  the  scalp  is  freshly 
painted,  as  it  is  four%e<it  is  a  great  occasion.  After 
their  mad  orgies,  hayp^ceased,  they  burn  or  burjr  it.  An 
eagle's  feather^ith  a  red  spot,  in  the  head  of  some  of 
.those  Indians  walking  th^ottgh  our  settlem^eiits,  is  a  badge 
that  the  posBessor  has  killed  a  foe..    If  the  feather  ia 


■a- 


i 


70 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


notched  wid  bordered  with  red,  or  cUpped  and  topped 
with  red,  it  signifies  that  a  throat  has  been  cut.  The 
red  hand  on  a  blanket,  shows  that  the  man  has  been 
wounded  by  an  enemy ;  but  the  bla«k  hand,  that  he  has 
killed  his  enemy.  The  Dahkotahs,  like  other  savages 
in  war,  show  no  sympathy  for  sex,  infancy,  or  old  age. 
At  Pokeguma,  the  Kaposia  band  scalped  two  little  girls 
that  attended  the  missio^hool ;  buried  a  tomahawk  in 
their  brains;  severed  Jb^e^^ids  from  the  bodies ;  and  then 
set  them  up  in  thelifikC*  Mr.  Riggs  narrates  an  inci-  * 
dent  of  some  of  the  upper  bands  of  Dahkotahs,  pursuing 
a  weak  Ojibway  mother.  To  savejier  life  she  swam  a 
stream.  "Half  naked  she  reached  the  opposite-  bank,  and 
dropped  down,  too  much  exhausted  to  attempt  to  pro- 
ceed. With  the  delight  of  demons  just  let  loose  from 
hell,  her  pursuers  came  over,  stabbed  and  scalped  her. 
Prematurely,  ushering  her  unborn  babe  into  existence, 
they  dashed  its  brains  out,  upon  the  ground.  Returning 
with  a  poor,  sick  mother's  scalp,  they  came  home  as  o 
"  conquering  heroes  come,*'  and  were  received  with  pride^ 
and  honour.  Such  is  savage  warfare,  and  the  savage  idea 
of  what  constitutes  true  glory.  But,  notwithstanding 
their  horrid  mode  of  warfare,  they  are  not  destitute  of 
affection  for  their  own  offspring  or  friends. 

The  Dahkotahs  aasert  that  a  mother  is  with  her  absent 
children  whenever  they  think  of  her,  and  that  she  feels 
a  pain  in  her  breast  (or  heart)  whenever  anything  of 
moihent  happens  to  them.  When  a  child  dies,  like 
Rachel,  they  refuse  to  be  comfotted.  The  following 
paraphrase  of  the  lament  of  a  bereaved  Indian  mother, 
prepared  for  the  "  Dakota  Friend,"  is  full  of  poetry :  "  Me 
choankshee!  Medioonkahee!  (my  daughter,  my  daughter,) 
ftloa!  fllftfl!    My  hopp,  my  mmfnrti  hna  dftpart<^  xny 


ibiL 


A  MOTHER'S  WAIL  OVER  HER  INFANT. 


71 


heart  is  very  sad.     My  joy  is  turned  into  sorrow,  and 

my  song  into  wailing.     Shall  I  never  behold  thy  sunny 

smile  ?    Shall  I  never  more  hear  the  music  of  thy  voice  ?  .       ^ 

The  Great  Spirit  has  entered  my  lodge  in  anger,  and 

^ken  thee  from  me,  my  first  born  and  only  child.     I 

am  comfortless  and  must  wail  out  my  grief.     The  pale 

faces  repress  their  sorrow,  but  we  children  of  nature 

must  give  vent  to  ours  or  die.     Mie  choonkshee !  me 

choonkshee !  <, 

"  The  light  of  my  eyes  is  extinguished ;  all,  all  is  dark. 
I  have  cast  from  me  all  comfortable  clothing,  and  robed 
myself  in  comfortless  skills,  for  no  clothing,  no  fire,  can 
warm  thee,  my  daughter.  Unwashed  and  uncombed,  I 
will  mourn  for  thee,  whose  long  locks  I  can  never  more 
braid ;  and  whose  cheeks  I  can  never  again  tinge  with 
Vermillion.  I  will  cut  oflf  my  dishevelled  hair,  for  my 
grief  is  great,  me  choonkshee  !  me  choonkshee  !  How 
can  I  survive  thee  ?  How  can  I  be  happy,  and  you  a 
homeless  wanderer  to  the  spirit  land  ?  How  can  I  eat 
if  you  are  hungry?  I  will  go  to  the  grave  with  food 
for  your  spirit.  Your  bowl  and  spoon  are  placed  in 
your  coffin  for  use  on  the  journey.  The  feast  for  your 
plajrmates  has  been  made  at  the  place  of  interment. 
Knowest  thou  of  their  presence  ?  Me  choonkshee !  me 
choonkshee ! 

"  When  spring  returns,  the  choicest  of  ducks  shall  be 
your  portion.  Sugar  and  berries  also  shall  be  placed 
near  your  grave.  Neither  grass  nor  flowers  shall  be 
allowed  to  grow  thereon.  Affection  for  thee  will  keep 
the  little  mound  desolate,  like  the  heart  from  which 
thou  art  torn.  My  daughter,  I  come,  I  come.  I  bring 
you  parched  com.  Oh,  how  long  will  you  sleep  ?  Th^ 
wintry  winds  wail  your  requiem.     The  cold  earth  is 


««4I*# 


♦ 


'.* 


*    I 


i 


72  '         .  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

your  bed,  and  the  colder  snow  thy  covering,  l^ould 
that  they  were  mine.  I  wiU  He  down,  by  thy  side.  I 
will  sleep  once  more  with  you.  If  no  one  discovers  me, 
I  shall  soon  be  as  cold  as  thou  art,  and  together  we  will 
sleep  that  long,  long  sleep  from  which  I  caimot  wake 
thee.  Me  choonkshee !  me  choonkshee !" 

A  Dahkotah  obtains  his  wives  (for  they  are  polygor 
mists)  not  by  courtship,  but  by  a  practice  as  old  as  the 
book  of  Genesis,  that  of  purchase.  A  young  man,  when 
he  wants  a  wife,  announces  the  fact,  and  begs  his  fnends 
to  give  him  an  outfit.  He  then  proceeds  to  the  parents 
and  makes  a  purchase.  The  ancestors  of  some  of  the 
first  families  of  Virginia,  purchased  their  wives  from  the 
London  company,  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  or  fifty 
pounds  of  tobacco,  at  three  shillings  a  pound,  but  a 
Dahkotah  pays  a  higher  price  for  the  article,  and  takes 
more.  Usually  they  pay,  a  horse,  or  four  or  five  guns, 
or  six  or  eight  blankets,  a  value  eqi^al  to  thirty  Or  forty 

dollars.  . 

The  chief  of  the  Kaposia  band  has  three  wives,  who 
are  sisters.  His  second  wife  he  purchased  of  her  father 
while  he  was  drunk,  and  she  but  ten  years  of  age.  It 
is  said  that  a  friend  throws  a  blanket  over  the  bride  and 
bears  her  to  the  lodge  of  the  purchaser.  Though  a  sOn- 
in-law  lives  near  the  parents  of  his  wife,  he  never  names 
or  talks  to  them,  and  never  looks  his  wife's  mother  in 
the  face.  He  thinks  it  is  respectful  to  act  in  this 
manner.  He  occupies  a  large  lodge,  while  his  wife's 
parents  frequently  live  in  a  small  one,  in  the  rear, 
whom  he  supplies  with  game  until  he  has  a  family  of 
his  own.  Should  the  parents  accidentally  meet  him, 
they  hide  their  faces.     If  the  mother  starts  for  the 


*^  H^ 


/ 


I  *■<■     ^/■aJtki.:,    .     '  ^  '.^iL^Jii  I 


THE  WOODPECKER  CHARM.— DRESS. 


73 


daughter's  lodge  and  perceives  her  husband  inside,  she 
does  not  enter. 

If  a  woman  proves  faithless  to  heP  husband,  she  is 
frequently  shot  or  has  her  nose  cut  off.  This  latter 
practice  was  noticed  by  Le  Sueur,  in  1700.  There  is 
much  system  in  relation  to  the  pla<;e  in  which  each 
should  sit  in  a  Dahkotah  lodge.  The  wife  always  occu- 
pies^ a  place  next  to  the  entrance  on  the  right.  The 
seat  of  hpnour,  to  which  a  white  man  is  generally 
pomted,  is  directly  opposite  to  the  door  of  the  lodge.' 

Like  the  rest  of  mankind,  they  are  by  no  means 
insensible  to  flattery.  When  one  thinks  that  he  cannot 
obtain  a  horse,  or  some  other  article  that  he  wishes, 
by  a  simple  request,  he  will  take  a  number  of  wood- 
peckers' heads,  and  sing  over  them  in  the  presence  of 
'  the  individual  he  hopes  to  influence,  recounting  the 
honourable  deeds  of  the  man  to  whom  he  gives  the 
birds'  heads.  '  This  process  acts  like  a  charm,  and  is 
often  successful. 

A  Parisian  dandy  is  known  the  world  over,  but  he  is 
not  to  be  compared  with  a  Dahkotah  fop.  An  Indian 
young  man  passes  hours  in  attiring  himself  That  green 
streak  of  paint  upon  the  cheek;  those  yellow  circles 
around  the  eyes,  and  those  spots  upon  the  forehead, 
have  cost  him  much  trouble  and  frequent  gazings  into 
his  mirror,  which  he  always  keeps  with  j^im.  That 
head-dress,  which  appears  to  hang  so  carelessly,  is  all 
designed.  None  knows  better  than  he  how  to  attitudi- 
nize and  play  the  stoic  or  majestic.  No  moustachioed 
clerk,  with  curling  locks,  and  kid  gloves,  and  cambric 
handkerchief,  and  patentrleather  boots,  and  glossy  hat,' 
is  half  80  conscious  as  he  who  struts  past  us  with  his 
streaming  blanket  and  ornamented  and  uncovered  head. 


Hl^ 


■"14 


ff 


s| 


74 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


ic 


holding  a  pipe  or  a  gun  in  the  place  of  a  cane,  and 
wearing  moccasins  in  the  place  of  boots.  -Tiie  rain 
upon  his  nicely  decorated  head  anS  face,  causes  as 
much  of  a  flutter  as  it  does  when  it  falls  upon  the  hat 
of  the  nice  young  man  who  smokes  hig  cigar  and  pro- 
menades in  Broadway.     • 

When  the  Dahkotahs  are  not  busy  with  war,  or  the 
chase,  or  the  feasts  and'  dances  of  their  religion,  time 
hangs  heavily,  and  they  either  sleep  or  resort  to  some 
game  to  keep  up  an  excitement.  One  of  their  games  is 
like  "Hunt  the  Slipper;!'  a  bullet  or  plum-stone  is 
placed  by  one  prafty4n  one  of  four  moccasins  or  mittens, 
and  sought  for  by  the  opposite.  There  is  also  the  play 
of  "  plum^stones.''  •  At  this  game  much  is  often  lost 
and  won.  Eight  plum-stones  are  marked  with  qertain 
devices.  This  game  is  played  by  young  men  and 
females.     If,  aftpr.  shaking  in  a  bowl,  stones  bearing 

.  certain  devices  turn  up,  the  game  is  won.. 

The  favourite  and  most  exciting  game  of  the  Dahko- 
tahs is  ball  playing.  It  appears  to  be  nothing  more  than 
a  game  w^ich  was' often  played  by  the  writer  in  school- 
boy days,  and  which  was  called  " shinny"  A  smooth 
place  is  chosen  on  the  prairie  or  frozen  river  or  lake. 

',  Each  player  -has  a  stick  three  or  four  feet  long  and 
crooked  aflhe  lower  end,  with  deer  strings  tied  across 
fonjiing  a  sort  of  a  pocket.  The  ball  is  made  of  a 
rounded  knot  of  wood,  or  clay  covered  with  hide,  and 
is  supposed  to  possess  supernatural  qualities.  Stakes 
are  set  at  a  distance  of  a  quarter  or  half  mile,  as  bounds. 
Two  parties  are  then  formed,  and  the  ball  being  thrown 
up  in  the  centre,  the  (xmtest  is  for  one{>arty  to  carry  the 
ball  from  the  other  beyond  one  of  the  bounds.  Two  or 
tlnee-  hundred  men  are  aoiftetimea  engaged  at  once.    On 


■,/ 


<w 


.y 


FOOT  RACING.— DOG  AND  FISH  DANCES. 


75 


a  summer's  day,  to  see  them  rushing  to  and  fro,  painted 
in  divers  colors,  with  no  article  of  apparel,  with  feathers 
in  their  heads,  bells  around  their  wrists,  and  fox  and 
wolf  tails  dangling  behind,  is  a  wild  and  noisy  spectacle. 
The  eye-witnesses  among  the  Indians  become  more 
interested  in  the  success  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  par- 
ties than  any  crowd  at  a  horse  race,  and  frequently, 
stake  their  last  piece  of  property  on  the  issue  of  the 

.  game. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1852,  the  last  great  ball-play  ii 
the  vicinity  of  Saint  Paul  took  place.  The  ground 
selected  was  Oak  Grove,  in  Hennepin  county,  and  the 
parties  were,  Shokpay's  band,  against  the  Good  Road, 
Sky  Man,  and  Gray  Iron  bands.  The  game  lasted 
several  days;  about  tVo  hundred  and  fifty  were  parti- 
cipants, encompassed  by  a  cloud  of  witne^es.  About 
two  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  property  was  won  by 
Shokpay's  Itoid  the  first  day.  The  second  day  they 
were  the  losiirs.  On  the  third  day  Shokpay  tost  the 
first  game,  and  the  stake  was  renewed.  Shokpay  lost 
again;  but  while  a  new  stake  was  being  made  up,  a 
dispute  arose  between  the  parties  concerning  some  of 
the  property  which  had  been  won  from  Shokpay's  band, 
but  which  they  kept  back.  They  broke  up  in  a  row, 
as  they  usually  do.  ,  Gray  Iron's  band  leaving  the 
ground  first,  ostensibly  for  the  reason  above  named,  but 
really  because  Shokpay's  band  had  just  been  reinforced 
by  the  arrival  of  a  company  from  Little  Crow's  band. 
During  the  play  four  or  five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
goods  changed  hands. 

Like  the  ancient  Greeks,  thfey  also  practise  foot  racing. 
Before  proceeding  to  other  topics,  it  is  well  to  ^ve  a 
brief  account  of  the  dog  dance  and  the  fish  dance.  The 


■%#"' 


.  --£■ 


\ 


?"/V 


\ 


f 

I 


y 


76 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


first  is  seldom  performea,  and  is  said  to  be  peculiar  to 
this  nation.  A  dog  being  thrown  into  the  midst  of  the 
crowd  of  dancers,  is  speedily  "  tomahawked"  by  one  of 
the  sacred  men.  The  liver  is  then  extracted  and  cut 
into  slices,  aftel*  which  it  is  hung  upon  a  pole.  Now 
the  dancers  hop  around,  their  mouths  apparently  water- 
ing with  the  desire  for  a  bite.  After  a  timfe  some  one 
dances  up  to  the  pole  and  takes  a  mouthful  of  the  raw  '■ 
liver.  He  is  then  succeeded  by  oth|rs,  until  the  whole 
is  devoured.  If  another  dog  is  thrown  into  the  circle, 
the  same  process  is  repeated. 

"  Not  long  since  a  Dahkotah  chief  was  sick,  and  the 
gods  signified  to  him  that  if  he  would  make  a  raw 
fish  feast,  he  would  live  till  young  cranes'  wings  are 
grown.  So  he  must  make  the  feast  or  die.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  others,  who,  like  himself,  were  inspired  by  the 
cormorant,  joined  with  hira  in  the  ceremonies  of  the 
feast,  of  which  the  chief  was  master. 

"  After  one  or  two  days  spent  in  '  vapour  baths'  and 
*  armour  feas^,'  a  tent  is  prepared,  opening  towards  the 
east.  The  railing  extending  from  the  tent  is  composed  of 
bushes.  Within  the  enclosure  eaclji  of  thoge  who  are  to 
participate  in  the  feast  has  a  bush  set,  in  which  is  his 
nest.  Early  in  the  morning,  on  the  day  of  the  feast, 
the  master  informs  two  others  where  the  fish  are  to  be 
taken,  and  sends  them  forth  to  spear  and  bring  them 
in,  designating  the  kind  and  number  to  be  taken.  On 
this  occasion  two  pike,  each  about  one .  foot  in  length, 
were  taken,  and  ajfter  having  been  painted  with  vermil- 
lion  and  ornameiJted  with  red  down  abo^it  the  mouth 
and .  along  the  back,  were  laid  on  some  branches  in  the 
enclosure,  entire,  as  tihey  were  taken  from  the  water. 
Near  the  fish  were  placed  birch-bark  dishes  filled  with 


CORMORANT  DANCE. 


77 


sweetened  water.  Their  implements  of  war  were  sol- 
emnly exhibited  in  the  tent,  and  the  dancers,  who  were 
naked,  except  the  belt,  breech-cloth,  and  moccasins,  and 
fantastically  painted  and  adorned  with  down,  red  and 
white,  being  in  readiness,  the  singers,  of  whom  there  are 
four  ranks,  commenced  to  sing,  each  rank  in  its  turn. 
The  singing  was  accompanied  with  the  drum  and  rattle. 

"  The  cormorant  dancers  danced  to  the  music,  having 
a  little  season  of  rest  as  each  rank  of  singers  ended 
their  chant,  until  the  fourth  rank  struck  the  drum  and 
made  the  welkin  ring  with  their  wild  notes;  then,  like 
starving  beasts,  they  tore  off  pieces  of  the  fish,  scales, 
bones,  entrails,  and  all,  with  their  t^eth,  and  swallowed 
it,  at  the  same  time  drinking  their  sweetened  water, 
till  both  the  pike  were  consumed,  except  th6  heads  and 
fins  and  large  bones,  the  latter  of  which  were  deposited 
in  the  nests.  Thus  the  feast  ended,  and  the  chief  will 
of  course  live  till  the  young  cranes  can  fly.  At  the 
close  of  the  ceremony,  whatever  of  clothing  is  worn  on 
the  occasion  is  offered  in  sacrifice  to  the  gods."    Y 

Sufficient  has  been  said  to  show  that  the  Dahkotahs 
are  Odd  Fellows;  but  not  the  half  has  been  told^ 
Among  the  Ojibways  there  are  totems,  or  family  s)^ 
bols,  of  the  name  of  some  ancestor,  which  is  honoured 
as  much  as  the  coat  of  arms  among  the  nobility  of  Eu- 
rope. If  a  man  dies,  his  totem  is  marked  upon  his 
grave  post  with  as  much  formality  as  the  heraldic 
design  of  an  English  nobleman.  It  was  this  custom 
among  the  Algonquin  Indians,  that  led  the  unscrupu-- 
lous  La  Hontan  to  publish  engravings  of  the  fabulous 
coats  of  arms  of  the  various  savage  nations  of  the  north- 
west. That  of  the  "  Outchipoues*'  (Ojibways)  is  an 
eagle  perched  upon  a  rock,  devouring  the  brain  of  an 


y^jrc^if  • 


78 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


owl.  That  of^the  Sioux,  or  Dahkotahs,  is  a  squirrel 
perched*  upon  a  citron  or  pumpkin,  and  gnawing  its 
rind.  «  t^hile  the  Dahkotahs  do  not  appear  to  have 
totems  or  family  designs,  like  the  Ojibways,  yet,  from 
time  immemorkl,  secret  clans,  with  secret  signs,  have 
existed  amon^jjihem.  It  is  i^jnpossible  to  force  any 
member  of  tj^ip  clans  to  divulge  any  of  their  proceed- 
ings, Culbertfegn,  who  visited  the  Dahkotahs  of  the 
Missouri,  at  the  request  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
was  struck  with  this  peculiarity.  His  remarks,  for  the 
.entire  accuracy  of  which  we  do  not  vouch,  are  as  fol- 

<J^lie  Sioux  nation  has  no  general  council,  but  each 
tribe  and  band  determines  its  own  aflfairs.  These  bands 
have  some  ties,  of  interest  analogous  to  the  ties  of  our 
secret  societies.  ^  ^he  ',Crow-Feather-in-Cap'  band  are 
pledged  to  protect  each  others'  wiVes,  and  to  refrain 
from  violating  them.  If  the  wife  iSf  one  of  their  num- 
ber is  stolen  by  another  of  their  number,  she  is  returned, 
the  band  either  paying  the  thief  for  returning  the  stolen 
property,  or  forcing  him  to  do  it,  whether  he  will  or 
not.  *****  The  ^  Strong-Heart'  band  is 
pledged  to  protect  each  other  in  their  horses.*  Should 
a  *  Strong-Heart'  from  a  distance  steal  some  horses,  and 
they  be  claimed  by  a  brother  *  Strong-Heart,'  his  fellows 
would  tell  him  that  he  must  give  them  up,  or  they 
would  give  the  robbed  man  some  of  their  own  horses, 
regarding  it  as  the  greatest  disgrace  to  themselves  to 
allow  him  to  go  away  on  foot.  And  thus  I  suppose 
that  all  these  bands  have  some  common  object  that 
unites  them  togethecfaiid  here  we  have  the  origin  of 
this  system  of  banding.  v_J[n  the  absence  of  law,  4t 
takes  the  place  of  our  systein]  of  justice." 


SPK* 


WANT  OF  CLEANLWE^S. 


79 »' 


VThe  heatheij,  in  their  manner  of  life,  are  essentially 
the  same  all  over  the  world.     They  are  all  given  up  to 
tincleanries«.     As  you  walfevthrough  a  small  village,  in 
a  Christian  land,  you  notice  many  appearances'  of  thrift 
and  neatness.  ;  The  day-labourer  has  his  lot  fenced,  and 
his  rude  cabin  .white-washed.     The  widow,  dependent 
upon  her  own  exertions,  and  alone  in  the  world,  finds 
pleasure  in  training  the  honeysuckle  or  the  morning- 
glory  to  peep  in.  at  her  windows.    The  poof  seamstress, 
though  obliged  to  iodgcin  sopae  uppqr  rooin,  has  a  few 
flower-pots  upon  her  "v^ndow-sill,  and  perhaps  a  canary 
bird  hung  in  a  cage  outside.     B^t  i£J^  Indian  village 
all  is  filth  and  litter.    There. are  no  fences  around  th^ir 
bark  huts.     White-wasiiing.  is  a  lost  art  if  it  was  ever 
known.      Worn-out '  moccasins,  tattered  blankets,  old 
breech-cloths,  and  pieces  of  leg^iis  are  strewn  i^  con- 
fusion all  over  the  ground;   WateV,  except  in  very  warm 
weather,  seldom  touches  their  bodies,  and  the  pores  of 
their  skins  become  filled  with  grease  and  the  paint  with 
which  they  daub  themselves.     Neitlier  Monday,  or  aiiy 
other  day,  is  known  aftTwashing^ay.  ,  Their  ^cooking 
utensils  are  incrusted  with  dirt,  and  us^d  fotv  a  variety  of 
purposes.   A  few  years  ago,  a  band-«f^dians,  with'tbeit: 
dogs,  ponies,  women,  and  children^  came  onboar^'  of,^ 
steamboat  on   the   Upper   Mississippi,  ,,bn  ?.which   the 
writer  was  travelling.     Their  evening  me'al,  cohsisting 
of  beans  and  wild  meat,  was  prepared  oil  the  lower 
deck,  beneath  the  windows  of  the  ladies'  cabin.     After 
they  had  used  their  fingers  in  the  place  of  forks,  and 
consumed  the  food  which  they  had  cooked  in  a  dirtj^^ 
iron  pan,  one  of  the  mothers;  removing  the  blanket 
from  one  of  her  children,  stood  it  up  in  the  samis  pan, 
and  then,  dipping  some  water  out  of  the  ri^er,  began  to 


j> 


' 


'   ! 


•  ! : 


■  I 


-,-V 


#■■ 


HISTORY  OF  .MINNESOTA. 


80 

wash  it  from  head  to- foot.    The^^^^^^f  ^  ^^fl^J^^tt  ' 
-     Tit^ith  Indian  composure,  and  seemed  to  think  that  ^ 
af^on  Stew-pan  was  just  as  good  or  waslnng  babes  a.  .^ 
"    •'     for  cooking  beans.     Where  there,  is  so  much  dirt    of 
•  .    course  vermin  must  abound.     They  are  not  much  dis. 
tressed  by  the  presence  of  those  insects  which  are  so 
nauseating  to  the  civilized  man.    Being  without  shame, 
a  common  sight,  of  a  summer's  eve,  IS  a  woman  or  child 

with  her  head  in  another's  >p,  who  is  kmdly  kilhng 
the  fleas  and  other  vermin  that  are  burrowmg  m  the 
long,  matted,  and  uncombed  hair. 
^    .     The  Dahkotahs  have  no   regular  time  for  eating. 
Dependent,  a^  th^y  are,  upon  hunting  and  fishvig  for 
subsistence,  they  vaciUateJfrom  the  proximity  of  star- 
vation to  gluttony.-   It  is  considered  uncourteous  to 
refuse  an  iovitation  to  a  feast,  and  a  smgle  man  will 
s6metimes  attend  six  or  seven  in  a  day,  and  eat  mtem- 
perately    Before  they  came  m  contact  with  the  whites, 
they  subsisted  upon  venison,  buflfalo,  and  dog  meat. 
.  ^    The  latter  animal  has  always  been  considered  a  deh- 
cacy  by  these  epicures.   In  illustration  of  these  remarks, 
I  transcribe  an  extract  from  a  journal  of  a  missionary, 
who  visited  Lake  Traverse  in  April,  1839  :— 

«  Last  evening,  at  dark,  our  Indians  chiefly  returned, 
having  eaten  to  the  full  of  buflfalo  and  dog  meat  I  asked 
one  how  many  times  they  were- feasted.  He  said,  *  to> 
and  if  it  had  not  become  dark  so  soon,  we  should  have 
been  called  three  or  four  times  more.'  *  '  *  *  This 
morning,  *  Bummg-Earth'  (chief  of  the  Sissetonwan 
Dahkotahs),  came  again  to  our  encampment,"  and  re- 
moving we  accompanied  him  to  his  village  at  the  south- 
western end  of  the  lake.  *  *  *  Ip  the  afternoon, 
I  visited  the  cSief  j'  found  him  just  about  to  leave  for 


;fef: 


* 


1 


IRREGULAR  MODE  OF  LIFE. 


81 


a  dog  feast  to  which  he  had  been  called.  When  he  had 
received  some  papers  of  medicine  I  had  for  him,  he  left, 
saying,  'The  Sioux  love  dog  meat  as  well  as  white 
people  do  pork.' "  -  ^-^ 

In  this  connection,  it  should  be  stated  that  the  Dah- 
kotahs  have  no  regular  hours  of  retiring.  Enter  a  New 
England  village  after  nine  o'clock,  and  all  is  still.  Walk 
through  Philadelphia  after  the  State  House  clock  has 
struck  eleven,  and  everybody  an4  thing,  hacks,  hack- 
men,  and  those  on  foot,  appear  to  be  hastening  to  rest; 
the  lamp  in  the  store,  the  entry  and  parlour,  is  extin- 
guished, and  lights  begin  to  flicker  in  the  chambers  and- 

in  the  garrets,  and  soon  all  are  quiejUgpept  rogues  and  ^ ^ 

disorderly  persons,  and  those  whor^^lich  j  and  you  can 
hear  ^he  clock  tick  in  the  entrk  aiid  tfetlS : watchman's  ^\ 
slow  s\ep\as  he  walks  up  and  ffl^^E|i|%^tiJ'eet.     Bull 
there  is  nothing  like  this  in  an  IliB|^i|jllage.     They 
sleep  whenever  inclination  prompts ;  some  by  day  and 
some  by  night. 

If  you  were  to  enter  a  Dahkotah  village,  at  midnight, 
you  might,  perhaps,  see  some  few  huddled  round  the 
fire  of  a  teepee,  listening  to  the  tale  of  an  old  warrior, 
who  has  often  engaged  in  bloody  conflict  with  iJ^ir 
ancient  and  present  enemies,  the  Ojibways;  or  you  [ 
might  .hear  the  unearthly  chanting  of  some  medicij 
man,  endeavouring  to  exorcise  some  spirit  from  a  si 
man  j «  or  see  some  lounging  about,  whiffing  out  of  their 
sacred  red  stone  pipes,  the  smoke  of  kinnikinnick,  a 
species  of  willow  bark;  or  some. of  the'^oung  men 
sneaking  around  a  lodge,  and  waiting  for  the  lodge-fire 
to  cease  to  flicker  before  they  perpetrate  some  deed  of 
sin ;  or  you  might  hear  a  low,  wild  drumming,  and  then 
a  group  of  men,  aU  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a 


*  * 


'*« 


ifWCfW^»8!'??ffr5-'2''"  ■^t 


U 


A\ 


ir  f 


! 


82 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


girdle  round  the  loins,  daubed  with  vermillion  and 
other  paints,  aU  excited,  and  engaged  m  some  of  their 
grotesque  dances ;  or  a  portion  may  be  firing  tl^eir  guns 
into  the  air,  being  alarmed  by  some  imaginary  evil,  aUd 
supposing  that  an  enemy  is  lurkmg  around. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Dahkotah  females  deserve  the  sympathy  of  every 
tender  heart.    From  ^arly  childhood  they  lead  «  worse 
than  *a  dog's  Ufe."    Like  the  Gibeonites  of  old,  they  are 
the  hewers  of  wood,  and  the  drawers  of  water  for  the 
camp.    On  a  wmter's  day,  a  Dahkotah  mother  is  often 
obliged  to  travel  five  or  eight  or  ten  miles  with  the 
lodge,  camp-kettle,  axe,  child,  and  small  dogs  upon  her 
back     Arrivmg  late  in  the  afternoon  at  the  appointed 
campmg-ground,  she  clears  off  the  snow  from  the  spot 
upon  which  she  is  to  erect  the  t«6p56.     She  then,  from 
the  nearest  marsh  or  grove,  cuts  down  some  poles  about 
ten  feet  in  length.    With  these  she  forms  a  frame  work 
for  the  tent.    Unstrapping  her  pack,  she  unfolds  the 
tenlrcover,  which  is  seven  or  eight  buff"alo  skins  stitehed 
together,  and  brings  the  bottom  paxi^  to  the  base  of  the 
frame.     She  now  obtains  a  long  pole,  and  fastening  it 
to  the  skin  covering,  she  raises  it.    The  ends  are  drawn 
around  the  frame  until  they  meet,  and  the  edges  of  the 
covering  ore  secured  by  wooden  skewers  or  tent  pins. 
The  poles  are  then  spread  out  on  the  ground,  so  as  to 

Bhe^desires.     Then  she, 


\"    .r- 

:f 

1 

ii      ■ 

THE  HARDSHIPS  OF  DAHKOTAH  FEMALES. 


83 


(ft  her  children,  proceed  to  draw  the  skins  down  so  as  to 
make  them  fit  tightly.  An  opening  is  left  where  the 
poles  meet  at  the  top,  to  allow  the  smoke  to  escape. 
The  fire  is  huilt  upon  the  ground  iti  the  centre  of  the 
lodge.  Buffalo  skins  are  placed  around,  and  from  seven 
to  fifteen  lodge  there  through  a  winter's  night,  with  far 
more  comfort  than  a  child  of  luxury  upon  a  bed  of 
down.  Water  is  to  be  drawn  and  wood  cut  for  the 
night.  The  camp-kettle  is  suspended,  and  preparations 
made  for  the  evening  meal.  If  her  lord  and  master  has 
not  by  this  time  arrived  from  the  day's  hunt,  she  is 
busied  in  mending  up  moccasins.  Such  is  a  scene  which 
has  been  enacted  by  hundreds  of  females  this  very  winter 
in  Minnesota. .  How  few*  of  the  gentle  sex  properly  ap- 
preciate the  everlasting  obligations  they  are  under  to 
the  Son  of  Mary,  after  the  flesh,  who  was  the  first  that 
taught  the  true  sphere  and  the  true  mission  of  woman  ! 
The  Dahkotah  wife  is  subject  to  all  of  the  whims  of 
her  husband,  and  woe  unto  her  when  he  is  in  bad 
humour !  As  a  consequence,  the  females  of  this  nation 
are  not  possessed  of  very  happy  faces,  and  frequently 
resort  to  suicide  to  put  an  end  to  earthly  troubles. 
Uncultivated,  and  made  to  do  the  labour  of  beasts,  when 
they  are  desperate,  they  act  more  like  infuriated  brutes 
-  than  creatures  of  reason.  Some  years  ago  a  lodge  was 
pitehed  at  the  iiiouth  of  the  Si  Croix.  The  ilife,  fear^ 
ing  her  husban4  would  demand  the  whiskey  keg,  when 
he  came  from  hunting,  hfd  it.  Upon  his  return,  she 
refused  to  tell  him  where  it  was,  and  he  flogged  heir. 
In  her  rage,  she  went  off  and  hung  herself.  At  Oak 
Grove,  a  little  girl,  the  pet  of  her  grandmother,  was 
whipped  by  her  father.  The  old  woman,  sympathizing 
with  the  child,  flew  into  a  panion  and' went  off".    At 


m 


?"^-^f9^p'  ■■■"■ 


i. 


^ 


-g^  "  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

^f  +yip  oT-andchild  was  heard,  for  she 

l">  f  "rThfr  "SndW"  t-gi"g  by  a  portage 
had  discover^  ^^rf^i^^caffold.  An  aasiatant  female 
Sert  tht  Sn  Bchool,  being  attrac^  by  the 

had  flid     On  another  occasion,  at  the  *«ne  place,  a 

-  w  i^fnsed  to  give  his  mother  some  whiskey,  and 

son-m-law  refund  to  ^  scaffold,  tied  the 

h.  a  rage  *«  ^"  ^„,ek,  and  wa«  about  to  jump 
SX  rZd'c^e  up  *;  her  and  cut  the  str^^ 
Sffll  she  did  not^reUnquish  her  intention  of  suicide.  At 
I  I  hrcUmbed  on  to  the  scaffold  and  told  her  he  wcdd 
r'^h^jTrC  as  she.    Other  females  from  the 

tolWe  a  little  wffle  longer.  In  this  connexion,  an 
Ldent  may  be  told,  which,  for  romantic  mterest,  can- 
"o  he  surp^sed.  The  girl,  sin«,  the  occurren^^whih 
we  substantially  narrate  as  we  find  it  m  the  Pioneer^ 
wUhout  bemg  responsible  for  every  P"-*'?"!"'  ^ 
Tame  a  pupil  h.  the  Kev.  Mr.  Hancock's  mission  school 
at  Remnica  or  Bed  Wing  ViUage. 

In  the  spring  of  1850,  a  young  girl,  fourteen  yearn  of 
a™,  shot  another  girl  with  whom  she  w«B  'PO'^f^^' 
The  deceased  was  a  daughter  of  a  sullen  man  by  4e 
name  6f  Bla*  Whistle.    The  affrighted  gn:l,  after  she 
fired  the  gun,  fled  to  the  trader's  house,  and  was  by  him 
aided  to  make  her  escape  down  to  Wapashaw  s  village^ 
While  stopping  at  Ited  Wing's  village,  «>°>e  .^"""i"^ 
miles  from  the  place  where  the  deed  was  committed,  the 
incensed  father  overtook  her.    His  first  plan  was  to 
.  carry  her  home  and  sacrifice  her  at  his  daughter  s  buml 
'  scaffold;  but,  through  the  influence  of  some  of  the 
whitMu  ho  chnngod  hin  plmi,  M>d  reaolved  to  make  hw 


THE  DISGUISED  GIEL.— WANT  OF.  LAW. 


85 


his  slave  or  his  wife^  For  some  time  she  endured  what 
to  her  was  a  living  ^ath,  but  on  one  night  she  suddenly  ^ 
disappeared.  Not  many  days  after,  there  appeared  at 
Good  Road's  village,  a  young  Indian  boy,  stating  that 
he  was  a  Sisseton,  and  had  just  arrived  from  the  plains. 
He  was  well  received,  no  one  dreaming  that  he  was  the 
Indian  maid.  While  in  this  disguise,  she  went  out  one 
day  to  spear  fish,  when  her  husband  and  enemy,  the 
revengeful  father  of  the  girl  she  had  shot,  met  her,  and 
inquired  for  her,  and  avowed  his  intention  to  kill  her. 
She  very  cooU/assented  to  the  justice  of  what  he  said, 
and  left.  At  last,  her  real  sex  being  suspected,  she 
came  down  to  Little  Crow  or  Kaposia  village.  Here 
she  passed  herself  off  as  a  Winnebago  orphan,  which 
disguise  succeeded  for  a  time.  But  soon  she  was  sus- 
pected, and  was  again  obliged  to  seek  safety  in  flight, 
and  at  last  took  up  her  residence  at  Red  Wing's  village, 
though  for  a  long  time  no  one  knew  what  had  become 
of  her. 

It  is  an  erroneous  idea  that  chiefs  have  any  authority. 
Popularity  is  the  source  of  power,  and  they  resort  to 
measures  which  vie  with  those  of  the  modem  dema- 
gogue, to  gain  the  ear  of  the  people.  They  never 
express  an  opinion  on  any  important  point,  until  they  /T 
have  canvassed  the  band  over  which  they  preside,  arid 
their  opinions  are  always  those  of  the  majority. 

The  Dahkotahs  suffer  much  for  want  of  law.  The 
Individual  who  desires  to  improve  his  condition  is  not 
ottly  iai^hed  at,  but  maltreated.  Moreover,  if  he  ac- 
quires any  property,  there  is  no  law  which  secures  it  to 
him,  and  it  is  liable  to  be  taken  away  at  any  time  by 
any  ill-disposed  person.  Until  ^is  state  of  thinj^s  is 
altered  by  the  interpositic^  of  the  United  States  govern- 


^3^'^*'^^'^^  ^w~' 


g(j  .        BISTORT  OF  MINNESOTA. 

ment,  or  the  interposition  of  Pro^ddende  in  ^^^^ 
seen  way,  there  is  UtUe  hope  of  elevating  tbis  t^. 
Their  missionary  wiU  be  forced  to  look  upon  this  de^^ 
dation,  and  say,  in  view  thereof,  "My  whole  head\,s 
sick  my  whole  heart  faint." 

The  superstitions  and  peculiarities  of  the  Dahkotahs 
■are  so  various  that  We  can  but  barely  glance  at  them. 
They  count  years  by  winters,  and  compute  distances  by 
the  number  of  nights  passed  upon  a  journey;  their 
months  are'cqmputed  by  moons,  and  are  as  follows  :— 

1.  \fi-TERi,  Janmry;  the  hard  moon. 

2.  'WiCATA-wi,  February;  the  raccoon  moon. 

3.  IsTAWiCAYAZAN-wi,  March;  the  sore-eye  moon, 

4!  Magaokadi-wi,  April;  the  mooni  in  which  the 
geese  lay  eggs:  also  called  Wokadarwi;  And,'  sometunes,' 
Watopapi-wi,  the  moon  when  the  streams  are  again 

navigable.  ^  ' 

;  5.  WOJUPI.WI,  May ;  the  planting  moon. 

6.  Wajustecasa-wi,  Jw«e;  the  moon  when'the  strajv- 

berries  are  red.      >.  ^ 

7.  Canpasapa-wi;  and  Wasunpa-wi,  July ;  the  moon 
when  the  chok^herries  are^  ripe,  and  when  the  geese 
shed  their  feathers. 

8.  Wasuton-wi,  August;  the  harvest  moon.  , 
9.'PsiNHNAKETU-wi,  September;  the  moon  when  rice 

is  laid  up  to  dry. 

10.  Wi-WAJUPi,  October;  the  drying  rice  moon;  some- 
times  written  Wazupi-wi.  *  '  ' 

11.  Takiytea-wi,  iVbuemfter;  the  deer-rutting  moon. 

12.  Tahecapsun-wi,  D€cewi)er;  the  moon  when  the 
deer  shed  their  homfr.       ^^        |         ,       . 

They  believe  that  the  moon  is  inade  of  something  as 
good  M  green-cheese.    The  popular  notion  is  that  when 


*■      ■""^'- 


\  ■ 


RELIGIOUS  BITES  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 


87 


aeon;  some- 


the  moon  is  full,  a  great  number  of  very  small  mice 
commence  nibbling  until  they  have  ^aten  it  up.  A  new 
moon  then  begins  to  grow  until  it  is  full,  then  it  is  ^ 

devoured.  ~     i       i.- 

•    Though  almost  every  Dahkotah  young  man  has  his 
pocket  mirror,  a  maid  does  not  look  at  a  looking-glass, 
for  it  is  "  wakan"  or  sacred.     Almost  everything  that 
the  man  owns  is  wakan  or  sax^red,  but  nothing  that  the  " 
woman  possesses  is  so  esteemed.   If  one  has  a  toolhache, 
it  is  supposed  to  be  caused  by  a  woodpecker  concealed 
within,  or  the  gnawiiig  of  a  worm.     Coughs  are  occar 
sioned  by  the  sacred  men  operating  through  the  mediun} 
of  the  down  of  the  goose,  or  the  hair  of  the  buffalo.-    It 
is  considered  a  sin  to  cut  a  stick  that  has  once  been  ^ 
placed  on  the  fire,  or  to  prick  a  piece  of  meat  with  an 
awl  or  needle.     It  is  wrong  for  a  woman  to  smoke      , 
through  a  black  pipe-stem,  and  for  a  man  to  wear  a         • 
woman*s  moccaams.     Jt  is  also  sinful  to  throw  gun- 
powder on  the  fire.  -     '  -  '      " 

This  tribe  of  Indians!  believe  that  an  individual  has 
several  souls.  Le  Sueur  said  that  they  thou^  that 
they  had  three  souls,  but  the  saxjred  men  safThat  a  " 
Dahkotah  has  four  souls.  At  death  one  of  these  re- 
mains with  or  near  the  body ;  one  in  a  bundle  contain- 
ing some  of  the  clothes  and  hair  of  the  deceased,  which 
the  relatives  preserve  until  they  have  an  opportunity 
to  throw  them  iiito  the  enemy's  country;  one  goes  into 
the  spirit  land ;  and  one  passes  into  the  body  of  adhild  . 
or  sopie  ai^imal.  *  '        ,  ^      . . 

They  have  a  fear  of  the  future,  but  no  fixed -belief  in 
relation  to  the  nature  of  future  punishment.     They  are 
generally  taciturn  on  such  topics.     The  more  simple-     - 
minded  believe  that  a  happy  land  exists  across  alqfke 


'      ^  ,  ..    . 


vh  HI 


gg  ^ISTORT^F  MINNESOTA. 

of  boiUng  water,  a»d.  that  an  old  woman  sits  on  the 
shore  hoidmg  a  long  narrow  pole,  that  stretches  across, 
the  water  to  the  earth.  Wairiors  who  can  show  marks 
of  womidS  on  their  flesh,  can  waUt'  the  pole  witli 
security;  also  mfants,  whose  blue  veins  are  a  passport 
as  good  as  war  marks.     Others  sUp  into  the  boiling 

water.  '       /«*  ,  v 

Their  theology  makes  no  difference  between  the  con- 
dition of  the  thief  and  Uax  and  the  correct  and  good 
man.  Those  who  commit  suicide  are  thought  to  be 
unhappy.  They  believe  that  a  woman  who  commits 
suicide,  will  have  to  drag  through  another  world  that 
from  Which,  she  hung  herself  m  this,, and  that  she  will 
often'Weak>wn  the  com  in  another  land  by  the  pole 
or  tree  which  dangles  at  her  feet,  and  for  this  will  be 
severely  bea4;en  by  the  mhabitants  of  the  spirit  land. 

When  any  one  dies,  the  nearest  friend  is  very  anxious 
.  to  go  and  kill  an  enemy.    A  father  lost  a  qhild  while 
the  treaty  of  1851  waa  pending  at  Mendota,  and  he  " 
longed  to  go  and  kiU  an  Ojibway.     As  soon  qb  an  indi- 
vidual dies,  the  corpse  is  wrapped  in  its  best  clothes. 
Some  one  acquainted  with  the  deceased  then  harangues 
the  spirit  on  the  virtues  of  the  departed ;  and  the  friends 
sit  around  wiSi  their  faces  smeared  with  a  black  pig- 
ment, the  signs  of  mourning.     Their  lamentations  ai;e 
very  loud,  and  they  cut  their  thighs  and  legs  with 
their  finger  nails  or  pieces  of  stone^  to  give  free  vent,  as' 
it  would  apj^ar,  to  their  grief.     The  corpse  is   not  ^ 
buried,  but  placed  in  a  box  upon  .a  scaffold  some  eight 
.or  ten  feet  from  the  ground.    Hung  around  the  scaffold 
are  such  things  as  would  pleaae  the  spirit  if  it  wa^  still 
m  the  flesh— such  as  the  scalp  of  an  enemy  or  p^bts  of 
food.     After  the  corpBe  hu  been  exposed  f6r  tome 

■"■ —.■■  y     ■'■'  -^-i ..-..I-.— ■— ^f  I   .■■  ■!■,■■ ■.■I...1I. — _— ~-.— i-i  — I..-.   i«..  ^.i...  ...11 ^^.—1 1.. ..I ,■.■■■———-..._.„-,■. I.    .    .„   ^ ..iC _ ■..„,  .....  ..,  ,.-.,..^ 


SCHILLER'S  POEM.— ^ULWER,  HERSOHELL. 


89 


months,  and  t}ie  bones  only  remain,  they  are  Buried  in 
a  heap,  and  protected  from  thfe  wolves  by  stakes. 

On  the  bluff,  above  the  dilapidated  cave  which  forms 
the  eastern  limit  of  Saint  Paiil,  there  is,  an  ancient 
burial  place.  Here  the  Dahkotahs  formerly  brought 
^  their  dead,  and  performed  solemn  services. 

Carver,  in  his  Travels,  publishes  the  alleged  speech 
over  the  remains  of  a  Dahkotah  brave — the  reading  of 
which  so  attracted  the  attention  of  the  great  German 
poet,  Schiller,  that  he  composed  a  poem  called  the 
^Song  of  a  Nadowessee  Chief."  Goethe  considered  it 
one  of  his  best,  "  and  wished^  he  ha^  made  a  dozen 
such."  '  ' 

Sir  John  Herschell  and  Sir  E.  L.  Bulwer  have  ea<5h 
attempted  a  translation,  both  of  which  seem  to  convey 
the  spirit^  of  the  origii;ial. 


SIB  E.  L.  BULWIR's. 

See  on  hli  mat — aa  if  of  yort, 

All  life-like  Bits  he  b'ere  I 
With  that  same  aipeot  which  he  wore 

When  light  to  him  was  dear. 

But  where  the  right  hand's  strength  ?  and  where 
The  breath  that  loTed  to  breathe, 

To  the  Great  Spirit  aloft  hi  air,     ' 
The  peace-pipe's  lusty  wreath  f 


And  Vhere  tfie  hai 

That  wont  the  deer  ] 
Along  the  waves  of  rippling  graai, 

Or  Holds  that  shone  with  dew  1 

-   Arq  these  the  limber,  bounding  ibef 

Tlut  swept  the  winter^  shows  f 
^What  stateliest  stag  so  fiist  and  fleet?  . 
Their  speed  outstripped  the  roft'st 

These  arms,  that  then  Vka  steady  tew 
Oonld  supple  from  its  pride, 

How  stark  and  helpless  hang  ttuf  BOW 
▲down  the  stUfened  sidst    '  < 


^  SIR  JOfiN  HBRSCHZLL'S. 

^e,  where  npon  the  mat,  he  sits 

Erect,  before  hik  door, 
With  Ju|t  the  same  majestlo  air 

That  onoe  In  Ulb  he  wore. 

Bat  where  is  fled  his  strength  of  limb^ 

The  whirlwind  of  his  breath, 
To  the  Oreat  Spirit,  when  he  sent 

The  peaoe-plpe's  mounting  wreath? 

Where  are  those  fUcon  eyes,  which  late 

iCjong  the  plain  eonld  trace, 
Alfitag  the  grass's  dewy  wave. 

Hie  reindeer's  printed  pace? 

Those  legs,  which  once,  with  matchless  speed, 
Flew  through  the  drifted  snow, 

Surpassed  the  stag's  unwearied  course, 
Outran  the  moantain  roe? 

ThoM  arms,  onoe  used  with  might  and  main, 

The  stubborn  bow  to  twang  ? 
8m,^  see,  their  nerves  are  slack  at  last) 

An  BotlonlMW  they  hang. 


\';^ 


'%"^: 


^S^ffE?^  > 


"I'Pf^^^  *. 


"> 


'  1} 


90  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA; .    , 

SIR  E.  L.  BULWEB  S.  ''*?.* 


Tet  weal  to  him— at  peace  he  staya     < 

.  Where  never  fcU  the  snowB ; 
Where  o'er  the  meadows  Bprlngs  the  maixe 
That  mortal  never  sows. 

Where  bird^  are  blithe  on  every  brake- 
Where  forcste  teem  with  deer^  - 

Where  glide  the  fish  through  every  lake- 
One  chase  frqjn  year  to  yearl 

Witti  spirits  now  he  feaste  above ;         ; 

All  left  us— to  revere 
The  deeds  we  lionour  with  our  love, 

The  dust  we  bury  here. 

Here  bring  the  last  gift  I  lond  and  ahrUl 
Wail,  death  dirge  for  the  brave  1, 

What  pleased  hhn  moal  in  Ufe  may  sUU 
Give  pleasure  in  the  grave. 

^e lay  tbe-feK^beneatJi  hU head 
^e  swung  wheff«^ngth  waa  strong— 
The  bear  on  which  his  banquets  fed- 
The  way  from  earth  is  longi 
y" 
And  here,  new  sharped,  plaee  the  knife 

That  severed  fronj  the  clay, 
From  which  the  axe  had  spoUed  the  lift, 
•the  conquered  scalp  away  I       ^ 

The  paints  that  deck  the  dead  beatow— 

Yes,  place  thenjln  his  hand- 
That  red  thy  kingfj^ade  may  glow 
Amid  the  spirit-land. 


lis  %ell  4uh  Mm,  for  he  is  gone 

Where,  sn'ow^no  more  is  found, 
Where  thrgay  thorn's  perpetual  bloom 

Decks  all  t&e  field  around; 

Where  wild  birds  sing  from  every  spray, 

Whepe  deer  come  sweeping  by. 
Where  fish  from  every  lake,  afford 

A  plentiful  supply. 

With  apirits  now  he  feasts  above, 

And  leaves  us  here  ^one. 
To  celebrate  bis  valiaiit  deeds,         .   " 

And  round  his  g^ve  to  moan. 

Sound  the  death-song,  brin^forth  the  gifts, 
The  last  gi^to  of  the  dead,— 
..Let  all.  which  yet  may  yield  him  Joy 
Within  hU  grave  be  laid. 

The  hatchet  plaee  beneath  his  head, 
Still  r«d  with  hostile  blood ; 
'  And  add,  because  the  way  is  long, 
The  bear's  &t  limbs  for  fbod. 

The  Malpingknife  beside  him  lay, 

With  paints  of  gorgeous  dye, 
.  That  In  the  land  of  aoula  his  form 
Uay  shine  trlumpluntly. 


Theiegends  of  the  Dahkotahs  are  numerous,  and 
while  many  are  puerile,  a  few  are  beautiful. 

EaglEtEye,  the  son  of  a  great  war  prophet,  who  lived 
more  than  one  hundred  years  ago,  was  distinguished  for 
bravery.,  Fleet,  athletic,  symmfetrical,  a  bitter  foe  and 
warm  friend,  he  was  a  model  Dahkotah.  In  the  ardour 
of  his  youth,  his  aflfections  were  given  to  one  who  was 
also  attractive,  named  Scarlet  Dove.         v 

A  few  n^oons  after  she  had  become  an  inmate  of  his 
lodge,  they  descended  the  Mississippi,  with  a  huntmg 
party,  and  proceeded  east  of  Lake  Pepin. 


] " 


SCARLET  DOVE.— ANPETUSAPA. 


91 


ELL'S. 

8  gone 
found, 

petvial  bloom 
i; 

a  eTery  ipray, 

ngby, 

e,  afford 


abore, 

». 

«d»,         .   '> 

moan.  ' 

ne^forth  the  glfU, 

1,- 

id  him  Joy 

1. 

I  his  head, 
x>d; 
is  long, 
Ibod. 

him  lay, 
I  dye, 
hiaform 

ly. 


lerous,  and 

t,  who  lived 
iguished  for 
ter  foe  and 
I  the  ardour 
ine  who  was 

mate  of  his 
1  a  hunting 


One  day,  while  Eagle-Eye  was  hid  behind  some 
bushes,  watching  for  deer,  the  arrow  of  a  comrade 
found  its  way  through  the  coVert,  into  his  heart.  With 
only  time  to  lisp  the  name  Scarlet  Dove,  he  expired. 

For  a  few  days  the  widow  mourned  and  cut  her  flesh, 
and  then,  with  the  silence  of  woe,  wrapping  her  beloved 
in  skins,  «he.  placed  him  on  a  temporary  burial  scaffold, 

and  sat  beneath. 

vWhen  the  hunting  party  moved,  she  carried  on  her 
oym  back  th^  dead  body  of  Eagle-Eye.     At  every  en 
campmej^t  she  laid  the  body  up  in  the  manner  abeady 
mentioned,  and  sat*  down  to  watch  it  and  mourn. 

When  she  had  reached  the  Minnesota  river,  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  a  hundred  miles.  Scarlet  Dove 
brought  forks  and  poles  from  the  woods,  and  erected  a 
per^ianent  scaffdd  on  that  beautiful  hill  opposite  the 
site  of  Fort  SneHing,  in  the  rear  of  the  little  town  of 
Mendola,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  Pilot  KnoK 
Having  adjusted  the  remains  of  the  unfortunate  object 
of  her  love  upon  this  elevation,  with  the  strap  by  which 
she  had  carried  her  precious  burden,  Scarlet  Dove  hung 
herself  to  the  scaffold  and  died.  Her  highest  hope  was 
to  meet  the  beloved  spurit  of  her  Eagk-Eye,  in  the  world 
of  spirits.^ 

Many  years  before  the  eye  of  the  white  man  gaaed 
on  the  beautiful  landscape  around  the  Falls  of  Saint 
Anthony,  a  scene  was  enacted  there  of  which  this  is  the 
melancholy  story : — 

Anpetusapa  was  the  first  love  of  a  Dahkotah  hunter. 
For  a  period  they  dwelt  in  happiness,  and  she  proved 
herself  a  true  wife. 

^  For  (his  legend  we  are  indebted  to  BeT.  0.  H.  Pond. 


r 


3RSByi«^i'5jy^«5'^'^»,   ' 


,'» 


i 


I 


92 


HIS!rORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


;■;-  « Tf^ith  knife  of  bone  she  cajrved  her  food, 

. .  -  ^  Fuel,  with  axe  of  stone  procured— 

Could  fire  extract,  from  flint  or  wood ; 
To  rudest  savage  life  inured. 

■J 

"In  kettle  frail  of  birchen  bark. 

She  boiled  her  food  with  heated  stones ; 
The  slippery  fish  from  coTerfs  dark 
She  drew  with  hobked  bones." 

But  her  heart  was  at  length  clouded.     The  husband, 
in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  his  nation,  introduced 
a  second  wife  within  the  tSgpSS,  and  the  first  wife's  eyes 
began  to  grow  sad,  and  her  form  fix)m  day  to   day 
drooped.     Her  clnef  joy  Was  io  clasp  the  httle  boy, 
who  was  the  embodiment  of  hopes  and  happiness  fled 
for  ever.     Faithful  d^id  unmurmuring,  she  followed  her 
husbjtod  on  his  hunts.    One  day  the  band  encamped  on 
the  picturesque  shores  near  the  Falls  of  Saint  Anthony. 
With  tearless  eye,  and  nerved  by  .topair^i^^ 
with  her  Uffi  son"  waik^  to  the  rapid  waters.     Enter- 
ing a  canoe,  she  pushed  into  the  swift  current,  and  the 
chanting  of  her  death  dirge  arrested  the  attention  of 
her  husband  and  the  camp  in  time  to  see  the  canoe  on 
the  bank,  and  plunge  into  the  dashing  wave^.      The 
Dahkotahs  say,  that  m  the  mist  of  the  morning,  the 
sphit  of  an  Indian  wife,  with  a  child  clinging  around 
her  neck,  is  seen.darting  in  a  canoe  through  the  spray, 
and  that  the  sound  of  her  death-song  is  heard  moaning 
in  the  winds,  and  in  the  roar  of  tiie  waters. 

On  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Pepin,  about  twelve 
miles  from  its  mouth,  there  stands  a  bluff  which  attracts 
attention  by  its  boldness.  It  is  about  four  hundred  a^ 
fifty  feet  in  height,  the  last  hundred  of  which  is  a  bald, 
precipitous  crag.    It  is  seen  at  a  distance  of  miles  ;V  and 


jrii{(l^^iii.^\  % 


^SnlU  ^h      \^'t^k,j-,iM  1 


MAIDEN'S  BOOK  OF  THE  DAHKOTAHS. 


93 


as  the  steamer  approaches,  the  emergence  of  passengers 
to  the  upper  deck,  and  the  pointing  of  the  finger  of  the 
captain,  or  some  one  famiUar  with  the  country,  evinces 
that  it  is  an  interesting  locality— it  is  the  Maiden* 
Rock  of  the  Dahkot^-hs.  ,  ^     . 

The  first  version  of  the  story,  in  connection  with  this 
bluff,  differs  from  those  more  modem,  but  is  preferable. 
In  the  days  of  the  great  chief  Wapashaw,  there  Hved 
at  the  village  of  Keoxa,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
town  which  now  bears  her  name,  a  maiden  with- a  lov- 
ing soul  She  was  the  firsi^bom  daughter^  and,  as  is 
always  the  case  in  a  Dahkotah  family,  fhe  bore  the 
name  of  Ween5nah.  A  young  hunter  of  the  same  band, 
was  never  happier  than  when  he  played  the  flute  in  her 
hearing.  Having  thus  signified  his  affection,  it  was 
with  the  whole,  heart  reciprocated.  The.  youth  beggfed 
from-hia  iriends  all  that  he  could,  and  went  to  her 

parents,  as  is  the  custom,  to  purchase  her  for  his- wife, 

but  his  proposals  were  rejected. 

A  warrior,  who  had  often  been  on  the  war  path, 
whose  head-dress  plainly  told  the  number  of  scalps  he 
had  wrenched  from  Ojibway  heads,  had  also  been  to  the 
parents,  and  they  thought  that  she  would  be  more 
honoured  as  an  innftite  of  his  teepee. 

WSeriOnah,  however,  could  not  forget  her  first  love ; 
and,  though  he  had  been  forced  awa/,  his  absence 
strengthened  her  affections.  Neither  the  attentions  of 
the  warrior,  nor  the  threats  of  parents,  nor  the  persua- 
sions of  friends,  could  make  her  consent  to  marry  simply 

for  position. 

One  day  the  Band  came  to  Lake  Pepin  to  fish  br 
hunt.  The^dark  green  foliage,  the  velvet  sward,  the 
beautiful  expanse  of  water,  the  shady  nooks,  made  it  a 


y 


'■'•.S^^ji^J'F'? 


is  ' 


94 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


plaxje  to  utter  the  breathings  of  W^The  warrior 
sought  her  once  more,  and  begged  her  t6  laccede  to  her 
parents'  wish,  and  become  his  wife,  but  she  Wused  with 

decision.  i   ,  \  ,      ,       j 

While  the  party  were  feasting,  WSenoijiah  >clambered 
to  the  lofty  bluff,  and  then  told  to  thpse  who  were 
below,  how  crushed  she  had  been  by  the  'absence  of  tl^ 
young  hunter,  and  the  cruelty  of  her  fHends.  Then 
chanting  a  wild  death-song,  before  the  deetest  runner 
could  reach  the  height,  she  dashed  hersblf  down,  and 
that  form  of  beauty  was  in  a  moment  a  niass  of  broken 
limbs  and  bruised  flesh.         ^  ,        i 

The  Dahkotah,  as  he  passes  the.  rock,  feels  that  the 
spot  is  Wawkawn.  ^  | 

The  Dahkotahs  call  the  St.  Croix  ^ver,  Hogan- 
wankesrkin.  The  legend  is  that  in  the  |distant  past, 
two  Dahkotah  warriors  were  travelling  onj  the  shores  of 
Lake  St.  Croix,  one  of  whom  was  under  p,  vow  to  one 
of  his  gods  not  to  eat  any  flesh  which  |  had  touched 
water.  .  Gnawed  by  hunger,  the  two  perceived,  as  they 
supposed,  a  raccoon,  and  pursued  it  to  al  hollow  tree. 
On  looking- in,  the  one  who  could  not  eat  flesh  tha;t  had 
touched  water,  saw  that  the  animal  was  a  ^sh  and  not 
a  quadruped.  Turning  to  his  companion,  he  agreed  to 
throw  it  to  the  ground  if  he  wa^  not  u|rged  to  eat. 
Hunger,  however,  was  imperious,  and  foi^ced  him  to 
break  his  vow  and  partake  of  the  broiled  fi^h.      / 

After  the  meal,  thirst  usurped  the  placi  of  hunger. 
He  called  for  water  to  t»ol  his  parched  tiongue,  until 
the  strength  of  his  companion  failed,  and  l^e  was  then 
told  to  lie  down  by  the  lake  and  drink  ti|l  his  thirst 
was  quenched.  Complying  with  the  advic0,  he  drank 
and  drank,  till  at  last  he  criedjg  his  friend,  /*  come  and 


LANGUAGE  AND  LEXICON. 


95 


look  at  me."  The  sight  caused  the  knees  of  his  comrade 
to  smite  together  with  fear,  for  he  was  fast  turnmg  to  a 
fish  At  length,  he  stretehed  himself  across  the  Lake, 
and  formed  what  is  called  Pike  Bar.  This,  tradition 
says,  is  the  origin  of  the  sand-bar  in  the  Lake,  which  is 
so  conspicuous  at  low  stage  of  water. 

Having  full  faith  in  the  legend,  to  this  day  they  call 
the  river,  which  is  part  of  the  boundary  between  Wis- 
consm  and  Minnesota,  "  the  place  where  the  fish 
LIES."     (Hogan-wanke-kin.)  ^ 

The  Dahkotahs,  froiii  the  Minnesota  to  the  plams 
beyond  the  Missouri,  speak  essentially  the  same  lan- 
guage. Though  difficult  to  acquire,  it  is  allied  to  that 
of  the  Ottoes,  Winnebagoes,  Toways,  and  Omahaws.' 

After  ten  years'  close  study  by  an  observing  mis- 
sionary, he  was  obliged  to.  confess  that  he  had  not 
mastered  it,  which  admission  forms  quit#  a  contrast 
to.  the  vaunting  statement  of  Jonathan  Carver,  who 
^vintered  in  Minnesota  in  1767.  He  remarks:  "To 
render  my  stay  as  comfortable  as  possible,  I  first  endear 
voured  to  learn  their  language.  This  I  soon  did,  to 
make  myself  perfectly  intelligible." 

Hennepin  made  the  first  effort  to  collect^  vocabulary 
of  thS^  language,  while  he  was  a  captive  on  Rum  river, 
or  Mille  Lacs.  His  description  of  the  attempt  is  very 
quaint :  "  Hunger  pressed  jme  to  commence  the  forma- 
tion of  a  vocabulary  of  their  language,  learned,  from 

*  The  ancient  Arkansas  seem  to 
have  belonged  to  the  Dahkotah 
family.  A  letter  published  in  Kip's 
Jesuit  Mission,  written  by' a 'mis- 
sionary at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkan- 
sas, in  October,  1727,  speaks  of  "  a 
river  which  the  Indiana  o«U  Ni  ska 


(Minne  ska)  or  White  Water." 
Again :  "  They  place  the  hand'upon 
the  mouth,  w^ich  is  a^ign  of  admi- 
ration among  thejn."  Ouaka^  taguo 
they  cry  out, "  it  is  the  Great  Spirit." 
They  said  .probably,  Wakan  de,  This 
is  wonderful. 


t 


''^^ 


96 


HISTOBr  OP  MINNESOTA. 


ir**' 


f-! 


the  prattle  of  their  children.  When  once  I  had  learned 
'  the  word  Taketchiabein,  which  means  *  How  call  you 
this?'  I  began  to  be  soon  able  to  talk  of  such  things 
as  are  most  familiar.  For  want  of  an  interpreter  this 
difficulty  was  hard  to  surmount  at  first.  For  example, 
if  I  had  a  desire  to  know  what  to  run  was  in  tEeir 
tongue,  I  was  forced  to  increase  my  speed,  and  Actually 
run  from  one  end  of  the  lodge  to  the  other,  until  they 
understood  what  I  meant  and  had  told  me  the  word, 
which  i  presently  set  down  i|i  my  Dictionary." 

The  first  'printed  vocabulary  is  that  appended  to 
Carver's  Travels,  which  is  exceedingly  incorrect,  though, 
it  contains  many  Dahkotah  words.  The  Smithsonian 
Institution  have  pubUshed,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Historical  Sbciety  of  Minnesota,  a  quarto  Grammar  and 
Dictionary  of  this  language,  which  will  be  gazed  upon  • 
with  interest  by  the  "wise  men  of  the  East"  long  after 
the  Dahkotah  dialect  has  ceased  to  be  spoken.  This 
work  is  the  fruit  of  eighteen  years  of  anxious  toil 
among  this  people,  and  is  the  combined  work  of  the. 
members  of  the  Dahkotah  Presbytery,  edited  by  the 
Rev.  S.  R.  Riggs,  of  Lac  qui  Parle;  and  should  be  pre- 
served in  the  library  of  every  professional  man  and 
lover  of  letters  in  Minnesota.  '  , 

The  vocabulary  is,  of  course,  meagre,  compared  with  '\ 
that  of  the  civilized  European ;  for  living,  as  they  have 
until  of  late,  far  away  from  any  but  those  of  like  habits 
and  modes  of  thought,  they  are  defective  in  many  words 
which  have  their  place  in  the  dictionary  of  a  Christian 
people.  Accustomed  to  cut  poles  from  ?*  forest  and 
spread  buffalo  skins  thereon,  under  which  they  pass  the 
night,  and  then  decamp  early  the  next  day  in  quest  of 
game  or  the  scalp  of  i^  enemy,  they  have  no  word  which 


-.4.'; . 


...jtH-itfj...    .  a  .^UP.  i-uM-'isi-"  »v'»siL*li«t 


DAHKOTAH  ALPHABET. 


97 


-^  - 

expresses  ihe  comfortable  idea  of  our  noble  Saxon  word 
"  home."  ^  Still,  in  the  language  of  a  missionary,  "  it  is 
in  some  of  its  aspects  to  be  regarded  as  a  noble  lan- 
guage, fully  adequate  to  all  the  felt  wants  of  a  nation, 
and  capable  of  being  enlarged,  cultivated,  and  enriched, 
by  the  introduction  of 'foreign  stores  of  thought.  Nothmg 
'  can  be  found  anywhere  more  full  and  flexible  than  the 
Dahkotah  verb.  The  affixes,  and  redupUcations,  and 
pronouns,  ancf  prepositions,  all  come  in  to  make  it  of 
such  a  stately  pile  of  thought  as  is  to  my  knowledge 
found  nowhere  else.  4  single  paradigm  presents  more 
than  a  thousand  variations."    ^ 


THE  DAHKOTAH  ALPHABET. 


NAXI 

A  ab, 

B  be, 

0  obe, 

D  de, 

E  a, 


Bounds  as  d    in  far.    - 
••        6,  in  but.',  ' 
«•        cA  in  cbeat. " 
••      .  d'  in  deed. 
"        9    in  say. 

G  ge,  low  guttural. 

H  ie,     Boands  as  A  '  in  hel 

I    e,  "         e    in  see. 

J  je,  *^        «t  in  hosier. 

K  ke,  "         *    in  key., 

M  me,  "         m  in  me. 

N  ne,  "         n    in  neat 


NAMK. 

0  0,       sounds  as  o  -in  go. 
P  pe,  "        !p   in  pea- 

Q  qe,  indescribable. 
R  re,  high  guttural. 
S   se,      sounds  as  «    in  sea. 
T    te,  "         t    in  teA. 

U  00,  *^        00  in  noon. 

W  Wj,  ,"      •  to  jp  we. 

X  sbie,  •"         ah  in  sheet. 

T^ye,  "         y  in  yeast. 

%   ze,  '"         «    in  seta. 


The  vowels  represent  each  but  one  sound.  Q  repw?- 
sents  a  low  guttural  or  gurgling  sound.  B  represents 
a  rough  hawking  sound,  higher  than  that  of  ^r.   Besides  4 

their  simple  sounds,  c,  h,  p,  s,  t,  and  a,  have  each  a  close  * 

compound  sound,  which  cannot  be  learned  except  from' 
a  living  teacher.  They  MPe  printed  in  italics  when  ^ey 
represent  these  sounds,  except  k,  which  is  never  italiciWd 
for  this  purpose  j  but  g  is  used  instead  of  it.    The  last- 

7  •  '  °       ^ 


n  i 


'~i^.Ml^S^Hi. 


« ,  I 


~) 


'!?«?M-TB*^^-^s^??'*  rAi^VT^>-K^''^^p^ 


i»8 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


\ 


named  letter  might  as  weU,  perhaps,  be  expunged  from 
the  Dahkotah  alphabet,  and  k  held  responsible  for  the 
performance  of  this  service.  When  n  foUows  a  vowel 
at  the  end  of  a  syllable,  except  in  contracted  words, 
with  very  few  exceptions,  it  is  not  full,  but  sounds  like 
n  in  tinkle^  ankle. 

It  was  mtended  that  the  Dahkotah  orthography  should 
be  strictly  phonetic,  and  it  fails  but  little  o^  being  so.  To 
learn  the  names  of  the  letters  is  to  learn  to  read  it,  and 
no  English  scholar  need  spend  more  than  a  ^^w^^ 
or  even  a  few  moments,  in  learning  to  retui  thefSBmo- 
tah  language.* 

^Q.R.Vond,in  "IhwaxUkuKin." 


CARTIER.— CHAMPLAIN. 


9^ 


r 


CHAPTER    IV. 

^ 

More  than  three  centuriesligo,  an  enterprising  naval 
ofi&cer,  Jacques  Cartier,  discovered  the  mouth  of  the 
great  river  of  North  America,  that  empties  into  the 
Atlantic,  and  whose  extreme  head  waters  _  are  in  the 
interior  of  Minnesota,  within  an  hour's  walk  of  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Mississippi. 

Having  erecfed,  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec,  a  rude  fort, 
m  1541,  more  than  a  half  century  before  the  settlement 
of  Jamestown,  in  Virginia,  from  that  time  the  river 
Saint  Lawrence  became  known  to  the  bold  mariners  of 
France,  and  there  was  an  increasing  desure  to  explore 

its  sources. 

In  the  year  1608,  Champlain  selected  the  site  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cartier's  post  as  the  future  capital  of  New 
France.  iBuming  to  plant  i  colony  in  the  New  World, 
he,  with  great  aasiduity,  explored  the  country.  In  1609 
he'  ascended  a  tributary  of  the  Samt  Lawrence,  till  he 
came  to  the  beautiful  lake  in  New  York,  which,  to  this 
day,  bears  his  name. 

After  several  visits  to  France,  in  1615  he  is  found, 
with  unabated  zeal^  accompanying  a  band  of  savages 
to  their  distant  hunting-grounds,  and  discovering  the 
waters  of  Lake  Huron. 


^^"  ' 


■.-:Ji. 


V 


100 


HISTOIIY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


J; 


Befoi^  the  emigrants  of  the  "  May  Flower"  trod  on 
New  England  soil,  and  while  Massachusetts  was  an 
unknown  country  to  the  geographers  .of  Europe,  he  had 
gained  an  inkling  of  the  Mediterranelui  of  America,  Lake 
Superior.  Ih,a  map  accompanying  the  journal  of  his  dis- 
coveries, this  lake  appears  as  "  Grand  Lac,"  and  a  great  , 
river  is  marked  flowing  from  the  lake  toward  the  south, 
intended  to  represent  the  Missistsippi,  as  described  by 
the  Indians,  who, ,  from,  the  earliest  period,  had  been 
accustomed,  by  slight  portages,  to  pass  from  the  waters 
of  Lake  Superior  into  those  of  the  "  grahd"  river  which 
flows  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  \ 

About  the  time  that  Champlain  returned  irom  his 
expedition  i^  the  Huron  country,  there  arrived  in 
Canada  a  youth  from  France  of  more  than  ordinary 
promise,  who,  by  his  aptness  in  the  acquisition  of  tl;ie 
Lidian  dialects,  became  interpreter  and  commissary  of 
the  colony.  % 

^Determined  ta  press  beyond  others,  he,  in  1639, 
arrived  at  the  lake  of  the  Winnebagoes,  in  the  present 
stftte  of  Wisconsin,  which  had  been  descri^bed  by  Cham- 
plain,  though  erroneously  located  on  the  map  accom- 
panying his  narrative.-   .  /  .       •      n^ 

While  in  this  region  he  concluded  a  friendly  alliaiioe 
with  the  Indians 'in  the  valley  of  the  Fox  river  j 

Paul  le  Jeune,  in  a  letter  to  his  superior,  Vimont, 
wrijjten  in  the  month"*of  September,  1640^  alludes  to 
Nicolet,  and  is  also  the  first  writer  who  makes  distinct 
mention  of  the  Dahkotahs.     Speaking  of  th«  tribes  on. 
Lake  Michigan,  the  father  remarks  :-^     •  " 

•  « Still  further  on,  dwell  the  Ouinipegou  (Winnebago),' 
a. sedentary  people  and  very  numerous.  Some  French- 
m»m  no^ll  iham  iha  <  Nwilmi  nf  SfmkftrH.'  bftcauBe  the 


.i^f.  .&z«si.  '^y^^ 


TRADERS  PIONEERS  FOR  THE  PRIESTS. 


101 


Algonquin  word  Ouinipeg  signifies  stinking  water.  They 
thus  designate'  the  water  of  the  sea,  and  these  people 
call  themselves  Ouinipegou,  because  they  come. Trom 
the  shores  of  a  sea,  of  which  we  have  no '  knowledge, 
and  therefore  we  must  not  call-  them  the  nation  of 
'  Stinkers,' but  the  nation  of  the  sea.  ^    ;  .' 

"In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  nation  are  the  Nadou- 
essi  (Dahkotahs),  and, the  Assinipouars  ( Assinitoines) . 

•  *  *  *  *  I  will  say,  by  the  W-ay,  that  the  Sieur 
Nicolet,  interpreter  of  the  A^onqum  and  Huron  lan- 
guages for  *  Messieurs  de  la  Nowvelle  France,'  has  given 
me  the  nariies  of  these  nations,  whom  he  has  visited, 
for  th&  most  part,  in  t^eir  own  countries." 

Two  yeara  elapse,  and,  in  1641,  JogueS  and.Raym- 
bg,iilt,  of  the  "Socidty  of  Jesus,"  after,  a  journey  of 
flevetiteen  days,  in  fri^  tarks,  over  tempestuous  waters, 
arrive"  at  the  bArieP  of  rocks  at  the  entriance  of  Lake 
'  Superior;  and  then,  at  Sault  St.  Marie,  met  the  Potto- 
wattemied, flying  fi^)m  the  Dahkotahs,  pd  were  told 
that  the  letter  ^hved  to  the  west  of  tl^e  Falte,  about 
eighteen  day6'  journey,  the  first  nine  axjross  the  lake, 
the  other  up  a  river  which  leads  inland,  referring,  pro- 
bably,  to  the  strealm  which  interlocks  with  the  head 
>vater8  of  the  river  Saint  Croix.  0 

•  Wq  would  hot)detract  from  the  zeal  X>^  the  man  of 
Gad,  but  it  is  a^tthat  those  in  the  service  of  ma-m- 

'  mOft  h^ve  e^  outrun  those  in  the  service  of  .Christr 

The  ,"in8abra  fames,  auri,"  the  unholy  thirst  for  gold, 

has  always^ma^e  the  trader  the  pioneef^  ofli  th^  mis- 

<jioliary  in  savage  lands.  '    •   *<. 

In  a  comiiiuuication  made  aa^  early  as  1654,  it  was 

'   stated  Wat  it  was  only  nine  days*  journey  from  the 
Lajce  bHibe  Winnebago  (GreenlBay)  to  the  ^ea  that 


'    "1 


W ' 


^ 


■; 


\ 


.^.- 


"*#•• 


102 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


feparates  America  from  China;  and,  ttiat,  if  a  person 

^Id  be  found  who  would  send  thirty  Frenchmen  mto 

that  country,,  they  wg^ld  obtain  the  finest  peltries  and 

'    amass  wealth.  ^  -  „       ,  i.  x       „u 

This  yekr  tWo  advetituroua.  Frenchmen  went  to  seek 
'  their  fortunes  in  the  region  west  of  Lake  Michigan; 
and,  in^  August,  1656,  with  a  flotiUa  of  canoes  laden 
.with  treasures,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  Ojibways, 
they  arrived  at  Quebec,  and  interested  "voyageurs  . 
with  a  recital  of  their  hair-breadth  escapes— merchants 
with  their  packs  of  valuable  furs,  and  ecclesiastics  with 

*  narrations  of  tW  miserable  condition  of  immortal  souls, 
and  of  the-  numerous  villages  of -the  "  Nadouesiouack 
(Dahkotahs)  and  othe*  tribes.  ^     * 

Thirty  young  Frenchmen,  excited  by  the  reports, 
equipped-  themselves  tb  trade  with  the  lodges  m  the ' 
distant  wilderness;  and,  two  Fathers,  Leonard  Garreau . 
and  Gabriel  Dreuiiletes,  were  summc^ned  by  their  Supe- 

*  rior  to  return  with  the  brigade,  and  were  rejoiced  to 
find  themselves  chosen  to  be  the  first  to  carry  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  into  a  country  alike  i:eplete  with,  tribu- 
lation, darkness,  and  death.  " 

The  latter  missionary^had  been  a  visiter  to  the  house 
of  the  Puritan  minister,  Eliot,  in  the  vicinity  of  Bbst»n, 
and  they  had  frequently  taken  sweet  counsel  together  m 
relation  to  the  amelipration  of  the  conditioii  of  the  abo- 
rigines. '^    ■■'  ""■.'"■  .    - 

f  his  expedition  failed  to  reach  its  destination,  owing 
to  a  murderous  attack  pf  the  Iroquois,  in  w^ch  Gar- 
reau was  killed,  and  the  Qjibways  so  alarmed  that  they 
refused  ta  receive  the  surviving  "  black  robe." 

In  the  year  1659''two  traders  travelled  extensively 
among  thft  diffknt  tri^y.    Six  da.ye'  joume^r^south-west^ 


■  ^;. 


<^. 


c 


'l^ 


V 


GROSELLIER'S  JOURNEif  TO  HUDSON  BAY.  BY  LAND.      103 

of  La  Pointe,  now  Bayfield,  Wisconsin,  they  found  vil- 
lages of  Hurons,  who,  retreating  across  rocky  ndges 
over  deep  streams,  wide  lakes,  and  dense  thickets,  had 
reaxjhed  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi,  and  found  a  shelter 
among  the  Dahkotahs  from  the  fierce  onslaught  of  the 
Iroquois.     In  the  vicinity  of  the  Hurons  they  saw  Dah- 
kotah  settlements,  « in  five  of  which  were  counted  all 
of  five  thousand  men."     They  noticed  women  with  the 
tips  of  their  noses  cut  off,  and  heads  partly  scalped,  and 
were  informed' that  this  was.  the  penalty  inflicted  upon 

adjulteresses.  .  -  ,  .  ,     . 

They  also  heard  of  "  another  warlike  nation  who,  with  , 
their  bows  and  arrows,  -have  rendered  themselves  afi 
'  formidable  to  the  upper  Algonquins  a«  the  Iroquois  have 
to  the  lower.     They  bear  the  name  of  Poualak  (Assme- 
borne),  that  is  to  say,  the  warriors."   Continues  the  relar 
tion— "  As  wood  fs  scarce  and  very  small  with  them, 
nature  .has  taught  them  to  bum  stones  in  place  of  at, 
.  and  to  cover  their  wigwams  with  skms.     S«me  ot  the 
most  industrious  among  them  have  built  mud  cabins 
nearl>in  the  same  manner  that  swallows  build  their   , 
nests ;  n6r  ^ould  they  sleep  less  sweetly  beneath  these 
Bkin»,^or  tinder  this  clay,  than  the  great  on,es  of  earth 
beneath  their  golden  canopies,  was  it  not  for  the  teax.ot 
the  Iroquois,  who  come  here  in  search  of  them  from  a 
distance  of  five  or  six  hundred  leagues."  ^ 

On  the  early  French  maps  of  Lake  Superior,  a  tl^ibu- 
tary  from  Minnesota  i^  called  the  River.  Groselher.  a   It 


1  Groseilier  was  a  native  of  Tou- 
raine,  and  married  Helen,  daughter 
(K  Abraham  Martin,  King's  Pilot, 
^ho  baB  left  his  name  to  the  cele- 
brated  plains  of  Abraham,    near 


Quebec.  Returning  by  Lake  Supe- 
rior, he  offered  to  carry  French  ships 
to  Hudson's  Bay.  Rejected  by  the 
court,  he  crossed  over  to  England, 
vrhere  his  offers  were  accepted.  With 


v: 


104 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


^0 


appears  to  "have  been  named  after  a  French'  pilot  who, 
about  thi»  time,  roajned  into  the  Assinibome  country,  in 
the  region  of  I<ake  Winnepeg,  and  was  conducted  by 
themio  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay. 

Durinf  the  summer  of  1660  the  traders  of  the  far 

:  West  returned  to  Quebec  with  sixty  canoes,  manped  by 
Algonquins,  and  laden  with  fox,  beaver,  and  buffalo  skins. 
The  narrative  of  these  men  increased  the  existing  enthu- 

'  siasm  of  the  Jesuits,  and  the  Superior  at  Quebec  had  a 
zeal  wliich  "  caused  him  to  wish  that  he  might  be  an 
angel  of  glad  tidmgs  to  the  far  nations;  and,  at  the 
expense  of  a  thousaiid  lives,  to  go  and  search  in  the 
depths  of  the  forest  the  lost  sheep  for  whose  welfare  he 
had  crossed  the  sea."  ^ 

.  The  murder  of  Garreau,  four  years  before,  did  not 
intunidate,  but  his  blood  increased  the^||o^^age  of  ihe 
church,  and  Ren4  Menard  was  the  one  selected  to  be 
the  cross^bearer  to  the  Ijarbariana  in  the  regions  round 
about  Lake  Supei^or. 

'     His  hair  whitened  by^age,  his  mind  ripened  by  long 
experience,  and  acquainted  with   the  peculiarities  of 
Indian  character,  he  seemed  the  man  for  the  mission. 
The  night  before  he  started,  thq  eyes  of  the  venerable 

''•  priest  were  not  closed.  He  thought  much  of  his  friends, 
and,  knowmg  that  he  was  about  to  go  into  a  land  of 
barbarians,  two  hours  after  midnight  he  penned  a  letter, 


Raddisso^,  another  Frenchmen,  he 
piloted  an  Englirih  vessel,  command- 
ed by  Captain  Qillam,  a  Yankee,  to 
*  tbo  River  Nemiseau,  <mi  the  east  side 
of  James  Bay,  where  Fort  Rupert 
was  built.  See  O'Callaghan's  note, 
vol.  ix.  p.  797,  Paris  Doo. :  Col.  Hi*- 
torjofJSMC  Y9A  .:^^^ 


»  Mr  Riv«e»ndFathkb-Thi  P«aci 

OF  Christ  be  with  voti : 

I  write  to  you  probably  the  last 
word,  which  I  hope  will  be  the  seal 
of  our  friendship  until  eternity. 
Love  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  did  not 
disdain  to  Ipve,  though  the  greatest 
of  sinnere,  fur  he  loves  whoi  )>• 


:/ 


M 


«-  i^fv^^  M"  ^-^y^  ■w'v%^i«^ 


r",/,' 


jjijBv.-;; 


MENAED  AT  LAKE  8UPEBI0E. 


105   I 


to^ching  in  its  simplicity,  and  which  wiU  be  emhahned 
in  the  literature  of  the  future  dwellers  on  the  shores  ot    • 
Lake  Superior.  , 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  August,  1660, 
he,  in  company  with  eight  Frenchmen,  departed  with 
the  Ottawa  convoy  from  "  Three  Rivers."  After  much 
ridicule  from  the  wild,  companions  of  l^is  voyage  he 
arrived  at  a  bay  on  Lake  Superior,  on  .the  15th  ot 
October,  St.  Theresa's  Jay,  on  which  account  he  so 
designated  the  sheet  of  water.  .     .     j.  .v.- 

During  the  following  winter  they  remained  at  thiB 
point  Their  supply  of  provisions  being  exhausted, 
they  nearly  starved.  "  At  times  they  scraped  up  a  mess 
of  the  '  tripe  de  roche/  which  slightly  thickened  their 
water,  f6aming  upon  it  a  kind  of  foam  or  sjime,  similar 
to  that  of  snails,  and  which  served  rather  to  nourish 
their  imagination  than  then"  bodies :"  at  other  times  they 


loads  with    his    cross.      Let   your 
friendship,  my  good  father,  he  use- 
ful to  me  by  the  desirable  fruits  of 
youV  daily  sacrifice.    In  three  or 
.  four  months,  you  may  remember  me 
at  the  memento  for  the  dead,  on  Ac- 
count of  my"  old  age,  my  weak  con- 
stitution, anfi  the  hardships  I  lay 
under  amongst  these  tribes.  J?ever- 
theless,  I  am  in  peace,  foi^  have 
not  been  led  to  this  mission'  by  any 
temporal  motive,  but  I  think  it  *was 
by  the  voice  of  God.    I  vrad  afrftid, 
by  not  coming  here,  to  resist  tlje 
grace  of  God.  Eternal  remorse  would 
have  tormented  me,  had  I  not  come 
when  I  had  the  opportunity.    We 

"   From  the  Three  Rivers;  this  Y' 
27th    August,   2   o'clock  V 
•     after  midniglit,  1660.         j 


have  been  a  little  surprised,  not  W 
ing  able  to  provide  ourselves  with 
vestments  and  other  things :  but  he     . 
who  feeds  the  little  birds  and  clothes 
the  Idies  of  the  pelds,  will  take  care 
of  his  servants ;  and  though  it  should 
happen  we  should  die  with  want,  we  ^^ 
would  esteem  ourselves  happy.    I 
am  loaded  witH  affairs.  What  I  can 
do  is  to  recommend  our  journey  to 
your  daily  sacrifices,  and  to  embrace      , 
you  with  the  same   sentiments  of 
heart,  as  I  hope  to  do  in  etiTnity. 

My  rev|rend  father,  your  most 
humble  and  affectionate  servwit  i» 
Jesus  Christ, 

\  R.  M«NABD. 


T 


'S^^' 


106 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


. 


subsisted  on  pounded  fish-bones  and  adorns.  When 
the  vernal  breezes  began  fo  blow,  ducks;  geese,  and 
wUd  pigeons  made  their  appearance,  and  their  bodies 

strengthened. 

The  refugee  Hurons,  at  La  Pointe,  hearing  that  a 
"black  gown"  was  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  invited- 

him  to  visit  them. 

Menard  appointed  three  young  Frenchmen  to  act 
as  pioneers,  and  reconnoitre  the  country  and  make 
presents.  On  their  journey  their  canoe  was  stolen, 
and  after  many  difficulties  they  returned.  Their 
report  was  discouraging,  but  did  not  deter  the  aged 
enthusiast.    His  last  written  sentences,  penned  m  July, 

1661,  are:— 

"  I  hear  every  day  four  populous  nations  spoken  oi, 
that  are  distant  from  here  about  two  or  three  hundred 
leagues.  I  expect  to  die  on  ihy  way  to  them ;  but  as  X 
am  so  far  advanced,  and  m  health,  I  shall  do  all  that  is 
possible  to  reach  them.  The  route,  most  of  the  way, 
lies  across  swamps,  through  which  it  is  necessary  to  me\ 
your  way  in  passing,  and  to  be  in  danger  every  moment 
-of  sinking  too  deep  to  extricate  yourself;  provisions 
which  can  only  be  obtained  by  carrying  them  with  you, 
find  the  mosquitoes,  whose  numbers  are  frightful,  are 
the  three  great  obstacles  which  render  it  difficult  for  me 
to  obtain  a  companion."       ,  *         :•> 

Some  Hurons  having  come  to  treat  with  the  Ojibways, 
agreed  to  act  as  guides.  Selecting  John  Guerm,  a  faith- 
ful man,  as  his  companion,  he  started,  with  some  dried 
fish  and  smoked  meat  for  provisions.  The  Indians,  full 
of  caprice,  soon  moved  off,  and  left  the  priest  and  his 
friend  in  an  unknown  country.  Bruised  inlimb,iand 
fiinf.  in  body,  on  the  10th  of  August,  Menard^  ^Vhile 


$ 


) 


f.-  f^f^^-'^^'inj'^' 


DISAPPEARANCE  OF  MENARD. 


107 


following  his  companion,  lost  himself  by  mistaking  the 

trail.  •  ,   .  .  ^ 

The  agony  of  Guerin  is  great  when  he  looks  behmd 
and  beholds  not  the  aged  traveller.  He  calls  at  the  top 
of  his  voice,  but  he  only  hears,  the  echo.  He  fires  his 
gun  repeatedly,  to  lead  him  to  the  right  path;  at  last 
he  wanders  to  a  Huron  village,  and,  by  gestures  and 
tears,  and  the  promise  of  reward,  induced  a  youth  to  go  ^ 
in  search.  He  soon  returned,  weary;  and  from  that 
day  there  have  been  no  tie^es  of  his  body. 

A  century  ago,  the  report  was  current  in  Canada, 
that,  some  years  after  his  disappearance,  his  robe  and 
prayer  book  were  found  in  a  Dahkotah  lodge,  and  were 
looked  upon  as  "  wawkawn"  or  supernatural. 

In  the  summer  of  1663  the  mournful  intelligence  of 
the  loss  of  Menard  reached  Quebec,  and  one  was  soon 
found  to  be  his  successor— Father  Claude  Albuez,  who 
anxiously  awaited  the  means  of  conveyance  m  his  scene 
of  labour.     In  the  year  1665  g/  hundred  canoes,  laden 
with  Indians  and  peltries,  arrived  at  Montreal  from 
Lake  Superior.   A  Frenchman,  who  accompanied  them, 
reported  that  the  Outaouaks  (Ojibways)  were  attacked 
on  one  side  by  the  Iroquois,  and  on  the  other  by  the 
Nadouessioux    (Dahkotahs),   a    warlike    people,  who 
carry  on  cruel  wars  with  nations  still  more  distant. 
Allouez  rejoiced  at  the  sight  of  the  frail  barks,  and 
greeted  the  besmeared  savages  as  if  they  were  visitants 
from  a  better  land.    In  a  letter  written  at  the  time,  his 
full  heart  thus  speal^s :  "  At  last  it  has  pleased  God  to 
send  us  the  angels  of  the  Upper  Algonquins  to  conduct 
us  to  their  country." 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1665,  with  six  Frenchmen 


t 


/ 


m 


,^-?  :r^  ■ 


•^  I. 


^,i^    \'}    *  -/      I  --so    '  jS-  I'f."^  *,      ■  ■  --yy- 


1 


I. 


u' 


<f 


108 


mSTORY  OF  MINNESOTA^ 


« 


and  four  hundred  savages,  returning  frpm  their  trading  . 
expedition,  he  embarked.  ^    „    .  ,,     oj 

Having  made  a  portage  at  Sault  St.  Mane,  on  the  2d 
of  September  their  birch  canoes  glided  on  the  waters  of 
Lake  Superior.  On  the  1st  of  Octo"ber  they  arrived  at 
the  Chegoimegon,  a  beautiful  bay  (Bayfield,  Wisconsin), 
where  were  two  large  villages,  one  of  which  was  occupied 
by  the  Hurons,  who  had  been  driven  from  the  Dahkotah 
country  under  the  following  circumstances  :— 

Having  claimed  superiority,  on  account  of  the  pos- 
session of  fire-arms,  they  taunted  the  Dahkotahs,  who 
had  received  them  when  they  were  outcasts  and, flying 
from  the  Iroquois,  on  account  of  their  simplicity.  Aj^. 
last,  provoked  beytoa  endurance,  they  decoyed  a  nuD^J 
berof  Hurons  iil|p^;^, ^P  rice  marsh,  and  kiUed  maiiy 
with  their  pnpi^^wp*  not  to  be  despised,  stone-tipped 
arrows,  and  drov!§pc^|inant  to  Chegoimegon. 

The  second  village  ^K^mposed  of  several  bands  of 
Ojibways,  whose  ancestors^ad,  a  long  time  before,  lived 
east  of  Laie  Micjii^an,  but  had  been  driven  westward 

"  by  the  Iroq;^oisi  ^^'    ; /, 

This  point  was  a  centre  of  trade  for  many  nations. 
^Even  the  njinois  came  here  to  fish  and  exchange  com- 

,.,.  -■■■•'■if-"        ■■■••    ,:■.,„  ■  ■.'-'■ 

modities.         ;  '    „  -n       i. 

A\louez,  when  he  landed  at  La  Pointe,  as  the  French 
named  the  ^lace,  in  consequence  of  a  tongue-like  pro^ 
jection  of  land,  found  a  scene  of  great  confusion.  In 
the  language  of  Bancroft,  "  It  waa  at  a  moment  when 
the  young  warriors  were  bent  on  a  strife  with  the  war- 
like Sioux.  A  grand  council  of  ten  or  twelve  neigh- 
rbouring  nations  was  held  to  wrest  the  hatchet  from  t^ 
hands  of  the  rash  braves,  and  AUouez  was  admitted  to 
an  audience  before  the  vast  assembly.    In  the  name  of 


;>'*'-'.*.f5l 


■■^■ 


^.■'yi 


■\:.:. 


"PF 


J" 


ALLOUBZ  AT  LA  POINTE 


109„ 


*  " 


Louis  XIV.  and  his  viceroy,  he  commanded  peace,  and. 
ofifered  commerce  and  alliance  against  the  Iro(jpis-r- 
the  soldiers  of  France  wpuld  smooth  the  path  between 
the  Chippewas  and  Quebec^would  brush  the  pirate 
''  ^noes  from  the  rivers^would  leave  tx)  the  ri|.e  Nations     . 
il*  choice,  but  between  tr^^nquiUity  and  destruction.  On 
^'^ab  shore^bf  the  bay  to  whichfthe  abundant  fisheries  at-  ; 
nra^ted  crowds,  a  chapel  so(#rose,  and  the  nnssion  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  wa^  founded.   There  admiring  throngs,  who; 
had  never  seen  an  Europe^,  came  to  gaze  on  the  whito  . 
man,  ^d  on  the  picture^  which  he  displayed  of  the    . 
realms  of  hell,  and  of  the  last  judgment.     There  a 
choir  Of  ChippewaB  were  taught  to  chant  thepator  and.  „ 
the  ave     *    *    *    *    The  Sacs  .and  Foxes  traveUed 
'  on  fbc4  from  their  country,  which  abounded  in^,, 
beaver,  and  buffalo.    ThellUnois  also,  a  hospitat^e 
ra^e,  unaccustomed  to  canoesr^ving  no  weapon  but 
the  bowjjj^  arrow,  came  to  reheaiiSi  their  sorrows. 
«    «    *^^«    ♦    ♦    Curios/ty  was,  roused  by  theff 
tale  of  the  noble  river  on  which  theydwelt,  and  which 
flowed  toward  the  south.   Then,  too,  at  Ijie  very  extr^ 
mity  of  the  lake,  the  missionary  inet  the  wild  and 
impaBsioned  Sioux,  who  dwelt  to  the  west  of  Lake 
Superior,  m  a  land  of  prairies,  with  wild  nee  for  food,, 
and  skins  of  beaflte  instead  of  baj^k  for  roofs  to  their 
cabmS,  on  the  bank  of  the  great  river,  of  trhich  Allouez  . 
reported  thfe  name^to  be  Messipi."         i  ^    .         - 

•    White  ^on  ail  excursion  to  Lake  Alempigon  (bamt 
'  Anne),  he  '^tiit  Fond  du  Lac,  in  Minnesota,  some 
Dahkotah  watriors;  andj  m  describing  them,  he  is  ^e 
first  to  gi^^  the  name  of  the!  great  river  of  which  th^ 
IncQans  h^ix)ld  so  many  wonderful  stories^  .  ;  _ 


'/it 


% 


•■'J: 


1**3 


110 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


4 


f 


:      In  the  relations  of  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
th^  following  ren^arks  are  made  of  the  Dahkotahs  :*-»■ 

"  This  is  a  tribe  that  d^ii^ells  to  the  w^dt  Of  this  (iFoiid 
du  Lao),  toward  the  great  river  called  Messipi.  They 
are  forty  or  fifty  leagues  from  here,  in  a  country  of 

^prairies,  aboundig  in  all  kinds  of  game.  They  have 
fields  in  which  they  do  not  sow  Indian  com,  btft  only 
tobacco.  Providence  has  provided  them  with  a  species 
of  marsh  rice,  which,  toward  the  end  of  ^ummea-,  they 
go  to  collect  in  certain  small  lakes  that  are  covered  with 
it.  They  know  how  to  prepare  it  so  well  that  it  is 
^ite  agreeable  to  the  taste  and  nutritive.  They  pre- 
sented me  with  some  when  I  was  at  the  extremity  of 
Lake  Tracy  (Superior),  whera'I  saw  them.  They  do 
not  use  the  gun,  but  oiily  the  bow  and  arrow,  which 
they  use  with  great  dexterity.  Their  cabins  are  not 
covered  with  bark,  but  with  deerskins  well  dried,  and 
stitched  together  so  well  that  the  cold  does  not  enter. 
These  people  are,  above  all  other,  savage  and  warlike. 
In  our  presence  the^  seemed  abashed,  and  were  motion- 

•  less  as  statues.  Th^  spf^k  a  language  entirely  unknown 
to  us,  and  the  savages^  about  her^do  not  understand 
them."  -   ■  *')■'        ^      ■      _    /     y-  ' 

After  two  years  passed  am(Sng  the  Algonquins  at  La 
Points  and  vicinity/ Allouez  was  convinced  that  his 
mission  would  not  prosper,  unless  he  had  some  "assist- 
ance.  He  determined  to. go  in  person  to  Quebec,  aud 
implore  labourers  for  th^  field.  Arriving  there  on  the 
3d  day  of  August  1667,  he  ^rked  night  and  day ;  and, 
after  two  days,  the  bow  of  his  canoe  wa»  again  turned 
towards  the  far  West.  His  party  consisted  fii  flrsfof 
Father  Louis  Nicholas,  and  another  Jesuit,  with  four 

^    labourers;  bui,  wlyn  they  came  to  the  canoeB.  the 


%  N 


:#.      •  / 


">.^'"«?<^-»-,  ^i=^  TTJ  ■^-  ■<  1  ^     -!■?- 


MARQUETTE'S  DESCEIPTION  OF  DAHKOTAHS. 


Ill 


< 


whimsical  savages  opily  alloVed  AUouez,  Nicholas,  tmd. 
one  of  their  men,  to  ente^.  #^t,  notwithstanding  the 
help  obtained,  the  savage  hearts  could  not  be  subdued ; 
and  «  weaty  of  their  obstiniateunbelief,r>e  resolved  to 
leave  La  Po&te.  ^  On  the  13th  of  September,  1669,  the 
renowned  Marquette  took  his  plax;e ;  and,  writing  to  his 
Superior,  describes  the  Dahkotahs  in  these  words  :—^ 

«  The  Nadouessi  are  the  Iroquois  of  this  country,  be- 
yond La  Pointe,  but  less  faithless,  and  never  attack  till 
attacked  _  •        — 

"They  Ue  Bouth-west  of  the  mission  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  aad.  we  have  not  yet  visited  theih,  having  con- 
fined ourselves  to  the  cMiversion  of  the  Ottawas. 

"  Their  language  is  entirely  different  from  the  Huron 
and  Algonquin;  they  have  many  villages,  hut  axe 
widely  scattered;  they  have  Very  extraordmaiy  cus- 
toms; they  principally  use  the  calumet;  they  do  not 
speak  at  great  feasts,  and  when  a  stra^^r  arrives  give 
him  to  eat  of  a  wooden  fork,  as  we  would  a  child.     . 

«  AU  the  lake  tribes  mate  war  on  them,  but  with 
sm\u  suc^ss.  They  have  false  oats  (wild  rice),  u»e 
little  canoes,  and  keep  their  word  strictly.  I  sent 
them  a  present  by  an  interpreter,  to  t*U  them  to  recog- 
nise the  Frenchman  everywhere,  and  net  t<J  kill  hpn  or 

the  Indians  in  hi.  company ;  that  the  bla^k  (50"°J"^«» 
topasstothecountryoftheAssinipouarsCAssinebome^,, 

.   -JtothatoftheKiUstinaux    Cpistinea.ux) ;  that  h^ 

was  already  with  the  Outagamis  (Foxes),  ^d  that  I 

was  going  this  fall  to  the  IffihoU,  to  whom  they  .shoiJd^ 

leave  a  free  passage.  ^       u^  *:ii  »il.! 

"They  agreed;  but  as  for  my  present  waited  UU  att 
came  from  the  chase,  promisiafe  to  come  to  La  Pomte 


I    , 


4W' 


112 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


$ 


"1^^ 


■m,4 


m 


in  the  fall,  to  hold  a  council  with  the  Illinois  and  speak 
with  me.  Would  that  all  these  nations  loved  God  as 
they  feared  the  French." 

.     The  relations  of  thd  Jesuits  for  1670-71,  allude  to  m 

the  Dahkotahs,  and  their  attack  on  the  Hurons  and 
Ojibways  of  La  Pointe  :— 

"  There  are  certain  people,  called  Nadouessi,  dreaded 
by  their  neighbours,  and' although  they  only  use  the 
bow  and^  arrow,  they  use  it  with  so  much  skill  and  so 
muct  dexterity  that,  in  a  moment,  they  fill  the  air.  In 
the  Parthian  mode,  they  turn  their  heads  in  flight,  and 
discharge  their  arrows  so  rapidly,  that  thdy  are  no  less 
,  to  be  feared  in  their  retreat  than  in  their  attack. 

"  They  dwell  on  the  shores  of,  and  around  the  great 
river,  Messipi,  of  which  we  shall  speak.  They  number 
no  less  than  fifteen  populous  towns,  and  yet  they  know 
not  how  to  cultivate  the  earth  by  seeding  it,  contenting 
themselves  with  a  species  of  marsh  rye,  which  we  call 

wild  oats. 

"  For  sixty  leagues^  from  the  extremity  of  the  upper 
lakes,  towards  sunset,  and,  as  it  were,  in  the  centre  c^ 
the  Western  nations,  they  have  all  united  their  fot'ce,  by 
a  general  league,  which  has  been  mpde  against  thtem, 
as  against  a  conmion  enemy. 

"They  speak  a  peculiar  language,  entirely  distinct 
from  that  of  the  Algonquins  and  Hurqns,  whom  they 
-  generally  surpass  in  generosity,  since  they  often  content 
themselves  with  the  gloiy  of  having  obtained  the  vic- 
tory, and  freely  release,  the  prisoners  they  have  taken 
in  battle. 
t.  -  « Ottr  Outaouacs  and  Hurons,  of  the  Point  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  had,  to  the  present  time,  kept  up  a  kind 


<^  '«i. 


'^ 


LA  POINTE  MIS^ON  'ABANDOI^D.-OJIBWA'S^  DIVIDED.    1  IB 

of  peace  with  them,  but  affairs  liaving  become  embroiled 
during  last  winter,  and  some  murders  having  been  com- 
mitted on  biSih  sides,  our  savages  had'  reason  to  appre- 
hend that  the  storm  would  soon  burst  upon  them,  and 
judged  that  it  was  safer  for  them  to  leave  the  plao^, 
which  in  fact  they  did  in  the  spring." 
^     La  Pointe  bfeing  abandoned,  the  nearest  French  selr 
tleAent  is  Sault  St.  Marie,  at  the  foot  of  the  lake.    In 
the  year  1674  a  party  of  Dahkotahs  arrived  there  to 
make  an  aUiance  with  the  French,  havmgbeen  defeated 
in  recent  engagements  with  their  foes.     They  visited 
the  mission-house  of  Father  Dreuilletes,  where  some  of 
their  nation/were -finder  religious  instruction;  and  a 
council  of  the  neighbouring  tribes  was^called  to  dehbe-. 
.    rate  on  the  proposed  peace.    A  Cree"  Indian  insulted 
a  Dahkotah  chief  by  brandishing  his  knife  in  his  face. 
Fired  at  the  indignity,  he  drew  his  own  stone  kmfe 
from  his  belt,  and  shouted  the  war  cry.    A  fierce  con- 
flict now  took  place,  m  which  t^^n  Pahkotah  envoys 
Here  scalped  and  the  mission-h^p)umed. 

The  ^aulteurs*  or  Gjibways  divided  into  two  barn 
WtJ^tom  this  period.  One  remained  at  the  Fe — 
of  ^iht  Mary,  and  subsisted  on  the  delicious  white  fish, 
the  other  retired  towards  the  extremity  of  Lake  Supe- 
riof,  and  settled  at  tw<j  places,  making  an  alliance  with 
the  Dahkotahs,  who  were  anxious  for  French  goods, 
which  they  strengthened  by  in^nnarriages.  The  Dah- 
kotahs, who  had  their  villages  near  the  Mississippi, 

■*»  Name  applied  because  they  lived    called  them  Pauotig-oaeieuhak,  In- 

«  Sa«lt  St  Marie.  The  Dahkotahs  ^'^^^^^.  ?\'^'^'^\\'' J^^Z 
ofcll  thorn  Ila-ha-twawns,  Dweller  ai  tingdachirinl,  Men  of  the  Shallow 
tbe  Falls.     The  Algonquin  tribei    Cataract.      . 


8. 


>\* 


%•  «(►* 


tKi^k 


**«?'■: 


1U\  I  HISTOJil  OF*MnmESOTA.    :  '       , 

about  the  forty-sixth  degree  of  latitude  shapd  their 
country  with  their  new  alUes.  Durwg_the,^ter  the 
Oiibways  hunted,  and  in. the  ppnng  they  returned  to 
rioL  of  Lake  Superior.  Whfle  m  the  land  pf  4e 
Dahkotahs,  they  t«>k  care  not  to  f «*  f«"^  ">  ^^"^ 
wars;  lest  they  should -be  embroded  with  surrounding 

nations.*      p  .   «\i.  .  ^ 

»  Perrot  in  La  Pothene. 


'V         -A 


/ 


•     ♦ 


r  ■ 


€*  ■•' 


A 


» 


•#- 


fc^j  -  '-^ -a^fj^s^mf:?^^  r  p.x«'''        '  j,/. 


liijS^^   •     *"'''■ 


.■,■;'■■    .a 

H 

\ 

\           ' 

I 

' 

THE  FUR  TRADK 

tieir 
the 

H'       V 

'( 

■    ■<^'    '  '  ''• 

i  to 

■     ..  '     . 

-  ■  . 

■      ■  ;i      .  ^ 

ihe 

I 

• 

*                                     '    . 

heir, 

^^B 

• 

ding 

^B    ? 

/ 

',  115 


f 


^ 


CHAPTER  V. 


.  i' 


W 


The  trade  in  furs  haa  produced  a  class  of  men  of 
marked  peculiarities.      Under  the' French  dominion, 
military  officers,  and  the  descendants  of  a  decayed 
nobility,  "were  licensed,  by  authority,  to  trade  in  a 
particular  district.     These  men  were  weU  educated, 
polished  in  their  manners,  and  fond  of  control.    Living 
in  a  lavage  land,  surrounded  by  a  few  dependents,  they, 
acfed  as  monarchs  of  aU  they^ surveyed.  ,,.The  freedom 
from  t>e  restramts  of  civilized  life,  and  t^he  adulation 
received  from  the  barbarians,  who  are  so  easily,  im-- 
pressed  by  ti|^^4ind  glare,  had  a  wonderful  fascinar 
\  tion,  ,80  th^t  ^^odge  in  some  vast  wilderness"  became 
preferable  to  the  dra"wing^ro6ms  of  ancient  France,  and 
the  gay  .assemblies  of  Quebec,  .  r^         *  ' 

These  licensed  officers  tid  not  harass  themselves^th^ 

the  rmxJ^ of  th.e  India^gde.  .In  their  employ 

afew  c«s,  chiefly  na:^  of  C^%  who  hi 

^  ceived  the  rudin^eyits '  of  fsi  4^^^^'     ^W^^^ 

\  devolved  the  task  of  conduet^^urop^an  '^^^  ^ 

\merchandise,  to  the  tribes  on  the  various  wal^u^t 

yiiat  radiated  fix)m  the  centre  of  trade^  with  whom  they 

^yrintered,  and  then  returned  in  the  spring  or  summer 

.    with  the  peltri^  that  had  been  obtained  in  |^,Ange^ 

'    for  powder,  leall^  rum,  and  tobacco.  f'. 


M 


:JM^ 


f 


,•  c 


-^ 


,^  t    ■»**> 


<?    ',' 


Ps^^ 


Lt- 


*««!. 


*,v.v 


I' 


:aclil#erk  l^e  a  few  ^W  iro  cultivation, 

.e  oiawi^n  o^Jbverty  orvshamc>.f(tlio  from  their 

^'^  t'  ^MLk.W  lei  #f oviaiE,  ^^'fed  who  acted  as 
earnest  ^wt%i&^^»w'?"riP|^|^ 


-..Mercurial  &#mrtl®»:«^  ^^  «®^^® 

llheir  habits  appra^tnating  to  the  savage,  raiher  than 

'  tiie  KUropeaai.    ^^;y..  •    -  ,       ,        j      -      a 

.The  labours  oShe  day  finished,  they  danced^  around 

the  cample  to  %  sound  of  the  viol,  or  ttiey  ^urch^ed 
Hhe  virtue  of  sd%  Indian  maiden,  and  engaged  .m 

debauch  as  disguslig  a^  that  of  sailors  sc^ourmng  in 
'  theislesofthevSou^Sea,or  ^ 


i 


* » 


. ' ' ,  -    "  Worn  with  m  long  day's  march,  and  the  chase 

"  Of  the  deer,  send  the  bison,  •  ^ 

^ "      •        '     Stretched  themselves  on  the  grovnd  and  slept.  -^      ■ 

,    ,  "W^here  the  quivering  fire-light 

'    ,   .  Flashed  on  their  swarlhy  cheeks,  an4  their 

Forms  wrapped  up  in  their  blankets."^   .  ■  "       ■■ 

">■  .■  ,.  '.'  -  '      ■'      ■■      " 

.•  Inured  to  toil,  they  arose  in  the  morning  "when  it 

.  was  yet  dark,"  and  pushing  the  prow  of  their  Ught 

canies.into  the  water,  swiftly  they  glided  away  "Uke 

the  shade  of  a.oloud  on  the  prairie^"  and  did  not  break 

fast  ui^til  the  suj^  been  abQve  the  horizon  for  several 


fciPP' 


/ 


hours'.. 

Haltin 
^farcj  and 
they  pursu 
the  buffalo, 

From  early 
ascend  bfby  b 


jrt 'period  tjhey  partook  of  iheir  coaaree 

leit  rude  songs;  tjien  re-embarMttg» 

course  to  the  land  of  the  beaver  and 

,"  shades  of  night  began  to  fall.**,. 

accustomed  to  descend  ra^ds,  and 

^ith  heavy  burdens,  'theiisia^iied 


'  BTangeline. 


1 


S;^iv 


•4b. 


t:: 


'.r^/. 


,^-p;^  ?t      -va     -rw,     ^tl"??^  jl^><»6jS^^'«|V-i^'-'V  «,-*!^'-i 


•/■^^"' 


',     HABITS  OF.  THE  VOTAGEURS.  W 

their  carioes,  an*  carried  their  packs  .through  places    " 
that  would  have  been  impassable  to. any  but  the  "  cou- 
reurs  dea^bois.-    When  old  a^e  -Relaxed  their  sinewy 
iointe,  they  returned  to   Mackinaw,  or  some   other- 
entrep&t,  and  With  an  Indian  wom^^  obtained,  after 
the  manner  of  the  country,  to  riiend  their  moppasin? 
and  hoe  their  gardens,  passed  the  remamder  of  hfe  m 
whiffing  the  pipe  and  recounting  hair-bteadth  escapes.    . 
The  "  bois  brul4"'  bflfspring  naturally  became  enam- 
ouredWti  the  Trover's  Kfe,  a  retrospect  o^yhifeh  infused  ' 
■  fire  into  l&e  dim  eyes  of  the  old  man,  and  as  soon  as 
employmfeit  could  be  obtained  they  left  the  homestead 
to  follow  i^  the  footsteps  of  their  ancestors.         . 
«^*  Thevoyigeur  seldom  remains  in  a  settled  country. 
As  clvUifcatV  advan<ies  he  feels  cramped  ^d  uncom- 
fortable, and\  follows  the  Indian  in  his  retreat,    to  the 

•  confines  of  Minnesota  are  many  of  this  class,  whos6 
fathers,  a  generation  ago,  dwelt  at  La  Pointe  Green 
Bay  or  Praike  du  Ghieri.  Before  France  had  taken, 
fomal  possesW  of  the  region  of  the  Lakes,  hundreds 
of  "  coureurs  >es  bois^'  had.  ventured,  into  the  distant 
North-West.  >he  absence  of  so  many  rfrom  regular 
pursuits,  was  sUposed  to  be  disastrous  to  the  mteijests 
of  the  colony,  ind  measures  were  taken  by.  the  French 
government  to  Ump^l  them  to  return,  wKich  resulted 

«   in  only  partial  ijcpess.  •    ^  '        •  j  i. 

/-  Dvi  Chesneau  Intendant  of  Canada,  ^as  worried  by 

•  ihe^awlksnesB^the  K)vers,  and  writes  to  the  Mimster 
ofMarine' and.  Oplopes  of  France:-—      , 

'"  ■     iL^ledl^pf^Mey wandered    wood."  applied  to  half^bVeeds  be- 


\  .. 


^ 

^ 


m 


"I 


113      ;  HISTORY  OP  MINNBSOIA. 

"Be  pleaded  to  bear  in  mind,  my  lord,  that  there  was 
a  geWS  complamt,  the  year  previous  to  my  arrival  m 
this  country,  that  the  great  quantity  of  people  who 
went  to  trade  for  peltries  to  the  Indian  country,  rumed 
the  colony,  because  those  who  alone  could  improve  it^ 
being  young  and  strong  for  work,  abandoned  their 
wives  and  children,  the  cultivation  of  lands,  and  rear- 
ing of  ^tle ;  that  they  became  dissipated ;  that  their 
ab°sencrg^  rise  to  licentiousness  among  their  wives, 

"  as  hasVten  been  the  case,  and  is  stiU  of  daily  occur- 
rence- that  they  accustomed  themselves  t»  a  loafing 
and  vagabond  Hfe,  which  it  was  beyond  their  power  to 
quit;  that  they  derived  little^nefit  from  their  labours, 
because  they  vfere  induced  to  waste  in  drunkenness  and 
fine  clothes  4e  little  they  earned,  which  was  very 
trifling,  those  who  g#fe  them  Hcenses  havmg  the  larger 
part,  besides  the  price  of  the  goods,  ,which.  they  sold 
then^ry  clear,  and  that  the  Indians  would  no  longer 

'  'brin^them  peltries  in  such  abundance  to  sell  to  the 
honest  people,  if  so  greU  a  number  of  young  men  went 
in  search  of  them  to  those  very  barbarians,  who  despise^ 
us  on  account  of  the  great  cupidity  we  manifested." 

y      At  one  period,  thr^-fourths  oflthe  revenue  of  Canada 

was  derived  from  theifur  trade. '  / 

Only  twenty-five  licenses  were  gran^  ^h 
and  when  a  "^r  gentltftnan"  dr. "old  officer" ,d^po|i 
wish  to  gQ  West,  he  disposed  of  his  jjermit,  whSi/^as 

r  valued  at  six  hundred  crowlinvto  the  merchants  of 
Quebec  or  Montreal.  Each  Ucense  allowed  t|B  pos- 
sessor to  send  two  canoea  into  the  Indian  countr^  Six 
"  voyageurs"  were  employed  for  the  canoes,  and  were 

',     furnished  with  goods  valued  at  one  thousand  crowns, 
itiQa.of  ^ftmr\  per  rftiitu:^be  loPjeM^^ 


s 


C 


A'^a^''^M&i 


PROFITS  OF  FUR  TRADE.— PERROT. 


119 


risk  were  great,  but  when  a  venture  was  successful  the 

profits  were  enormous.  ,,    ^     t 

The  two  canoes    sometimes   brought  to  Montreal 
'  beautiful  furs  valued  at  eight  thousand  crowns.     Tho 
merchants  received  from  the  "coureurs  des  bois    sdl    .^ 
hundred  crowns  for  the  license,  one  thousand  for  the 
goods,  and  forty  per  cent,  on  the  balance  of  sales ;.  the     . 
residue  was  divided  among  the  "  coureurs,    giving  to 
each  five  or  six  hundred  crowns,  which  was  disposed  ol 
as  quickly,  and  much  in  the  same  way,  as  manners  dis- 
charged from  a  ship  of  war  spend  their  wages. 

During  the  latter  |art  of  the  seventeenth  centui:y, 
the^^ame  of  Nicholas%errot  was  fa^Uar,  not  oHly  to 
the  men  of  business,  aigf|fficers  0f  gove^ment  at 
Montreal  anA^Quebec,  bu!%«ound  tl^e  council  fires  of 
the  Hurons,  Ottawas,  Qtchagras,  Ojibways,  P6ttawotar 
mies,  Miamies,  and  Dahkotahs.    A  pative  of  Canjk  - 
accustomed  from  childhood  to  the  e^cit^me^t  and^^ 
cidents  of  border  life,  he  was  to  a  certain,  extent,  pre- 
pared for  the  wild  scenes  witnessed'  iii  after  days.    -^        , 

If  the  name  of  M^  worthy  of.  preservation,  the 
citizens  of  the  Noi^pKil  ought  not  to  be  willing  to  let 
the  name  of  that  man  die,  who  was  the  first  of  whom 
we  have  any  account  that  erected  a  tracing  post  on  the 

upper  Mississippi.  ^  . 

.        Perrot  waa  a  man  of  good  family,  ^d  m  his  youth 

■     applied  himself  to  stu^y,  and,  being  ff  a  time  m  the 

service  of  the  Jesuits,  became  famiUar  lYith  th^  customs 

Und  languages  of  most  of  the  tribes  upon  the  borders  of 

our.  lakes.  , 

Some  years  before  La  Salle  had  launcl 
La^  Erie,^d  commenced  his  cor 
it  the  request  of  the  aut%^tie8 


te  "  Grifl&n'" 

discovery, 

ianada,  who 


-ijj 


■^.. 


120 


,-^ 


HISTORY  OF.  MINNESOTA. 


loolraa,>UB|i».hiin  as  a  man  ef  great  ta«t,  visited  the 
,  _^^fflSis  b# th^'North-West,  and  invited  them  to 
a  grand  council  at  Sault  St.  Marie,  for  the  purpose  of 
makmg  a  treaty  with  France.  0^  melturial  tempera- 
ment, he  performed  the  journey  with  great  speed,  going 
as  far  south  as  Chicago,  the  site  of  the  present  city. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1670,.^alon,  |he  Intendant 
of  Canada,  ordered  Sieur  de  St.  Lusson  fe  proceed  to 
the  "  countries  of  the  Outaouais,  Nez  Percys,  Ulinoisj  ^ 
and^ther  naflfens  disco\gred"  neSr  Lfike  Superior  6r~^ 
the  Fresh  Sea,  and  seaW  for  mmes,  ^Articularly  cop^ 
per.    He  was  also  delegated  to  take  pMession  of  all 
the  countries  through  which  he  passed^^fc^^ting^  the 
cross  and  the  arms  of  France.  -  ^% 

%In  May,  1Q71,  there  wal  seen  at  the  Falls* Jk St.  ' 
ifary,  whafjhas  been  of  late,  a  frequent  occu^Rce.^ 
5l    Hei||wa6  tliB  first  convocation  of  civilized  men,  with  " 
"       the  aborigines  of  the  North-West,  for  the  formatbn  of 
a  compac^or^e 'purposes  of  trade  and  mutual  assist-   , 

it  wmSot  onlylSfe  ^ilBtom  but  policy  of  the  court 


F^^e  la  maie  a,  peat  display  upon  such  an  occ^ 

rt  il  not  to  be  wondered  at,  therefore,  tikiftt  we 
see  the  "ecclesiastic  and  military  officers,^  sur- 
rounded "with  all  of  the  pomp  and  circumstaiice" 
peculiar  to  their  profession  in  that  age  of  extravagance 
in  externals. 
Allouez,  the  first  ecclesiastic  who  saw  the  Dahkotahs 


»* 


^  The  Europeans  present,  besides 
De  Lusson  and  Perrot,  were  the  Je- 
suits, Andrft,  Preuilletes,  AUoofe, 
and  Dablon ;  also  Joliet,  the  ex- 
plorer of  the  Mississippi ;  Mogras, 
pf  Three  Rii^fars,  Canada  t  TQanpinfl^ 


a  soldier  of  the  castle  of  Quebec ; 
Dennis  Masse  ;  Chavigny ;  Chevtiot-i 
tiere ;  Lagillier ;  Mayserfi ;  Dupuis  i 
Bidaud  Joniel ;  Po'-teet ;  Du  Prat : 
Vital  Oriol;  Guillaum*. 


*  r-wf^-fti" 


TAKING  POSSESSION  OP  THE  NORTH-WEST. 


121 


face  to  face,  and  the  founder  of  the  mission  among  the 
Ojibways  at  La  Pointe,  opened  council  by  detailing  to 
the  painted,  grotesque  assemblage,  enveloped  in  the 
-robes  of  the  beaver  and  buffalo,  the  great  power  of  his 
monarch  who  lived  beyond  the  seas.  • 

m  '  Two  holes  were"  then  dug,  in  one  of  which  was< 
planted  a  cedar  column,  and  in  the  other  a  cross  of  the 
same  material.  After  this  the  European  portion  of  the 
assemblage  chanted  the  hynm  Which  was  so  often  heard 
in  the  olden  time  from  Lake  Superior  to  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain: —  '  ^ 

"Vexilla  regie  prodeunt 
Fulget  crucifl  mysterium, 
Qua  vita  ^ibrtem  pertulit, 
Et  morte,  vitam  pertulit." 

The  arms  of  Fraii<;e,  probably  engraved  on  leaden 
plates,  were  then 'attached  to  both  column  and  cross, 
and  again  the  whole  company  sang  together  the  "  Exa«- 
diat "  of  the  Roman  Catholic  service,  the  same  as  the 
20th  Psalm,  of %.,King  James'  version  of  the  Bible 
The  delegates  lij^^he  different  tribes  having  signified 
their  approvaf  ^Vhat  Perrot  had  interpreted  of  the 
speech  of  the  French  Envoy,  St.  Lusson,  there  was  a 
grand  discharge  of  musketry,  and  the  chantmg  of  the 
noble  "  Te  Deum- Laudamus.^'  *    ' 

After  this  alliance  was  concluded,  Perrot,  m  a  spint 
of  enterprise,  opened  the  trade  wit^  some  of  the  more 
.       remote  tribes.  '  ^...^   ^     ^ 

The   first  trading  posts  on  Lake  Superior,  beyond 

*   .     Sault  St.  Marie,  were  buUt  of  pine  logs,  V  Daniel 

Greysolon  du  Luth,  a  native  of  Lyons,  at  Kamamsti- 

goya,  the  entrance  of  Pigeon  river,  Minnesota.    Un  the 


''i'^-^, 

■-..m 


■•  'sm^'^'^'^f'r 


i*^^*Wf/^<|S  "W'T^^^*-,      *■'.,**)'  ^-y^f   •>'    aA^r! 


/fm-'y^'fir,t    vf",  .'..-sbt  . 


122 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


1st  of  September,  1678,  he  left  Quebec,  to  explore  the 
country  of  the  Dahkotahs  and  Assineboines. 

The  next  year.  On  the  2d  of  July,  he  caused  the 
king's  arms  to  be  planted  "in  the  great  village  of  the 
Nadouessioux  (Dahkotahs),  called  Kathio,  where  no 
Frenchman  had  ever  been,  also  at  Songaskicons,  and 
Houetbatons,'  one  hundred  and  twenty  leagues  distant 
from  the  former." 
"  On  the  15th  of  September,  he  met  the  Assinetwipes 
and  other  nations,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  for  the 
purpose  of  settling  their  difficulties  with  the  Dahkotahs, 
and  was  successful.       •  - 

On  this  tour  he  visited  Mille  Lac,  which  he  called 
Lake  Buade,  the  family  name  of  Frontenac,  governor  of 
Canada.*  / 

Du  Chesneau,  the  intendant  of  Canada,  appears  to 
have  been  hostile  to  Du  Luth,  and  wrote  to  Seignelay, 
Minister  of  the  Colonies,  that  he  and  Governor  Fronte- 
nac were  in  correspondence,  and  enriching  themselves 
^by  the  fur  trade.  He  also  intimated  that  the  governor 
clandestinely  encouraged  Du  Luth  to  sell  his  peltries 
to  the  EngUsh.  From  the  tone  of  the  correspondence, 
Du  Chesneau  was  excitable  and  prejudiced.' 


^  The  Chdngasketons  and  Ouade- 
batona  of  the  early  French  mapB. 
The  former  were  the  same  as  the 
Sissetoans.     J| 

'  CoronelHir  map,  corrected  by 
Tillemon,  published  at  Paris,  1688.^' 

•  "  The  man  named  La  Taupine, 
a  famous  'coureur  de  bois,'  who 
set  out  in  the  month  of  September 
of  las!  yaar,  1678,  to  go  to  the  Ou- 
.  tawacs^  with  goods,  and  who  has 
ftlwftyw  T^een  inter|||ted  with  the-go^ 


vemor,  having  returned  this  year, 
and  I  being  advised  that  he  had 
traded  in  two  days,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  beaver  robes  in  a  single  village 
of  this  tribe,  amounting  in  all  to 
nearly  nine  hundred  beavew,  which 
is  a  matter  of  public  notorfety,  and 
that  he  left  with  Du  Luth,  two  men, 
whom  he  had  with  him,  considered 
myself  bound  to  have  him  arrested 
and  to  question  him,  but  having  pre- 
sented  a  license  from  the  ..governor  _ 


^n^ 


^ 
r 


^V  .-^  iS31QI|f>"*   '«V 


'  4 


DU  LUTH'S  UNCLE. 


123 


He  attempted  to  imprison  several  of  Du  Luth's  friends, 
among  other/his  uncle,  named  Patron,  who  was  a  mer- 
chant, and  his  agent  for  the  sale  of  furs. 

The  accouQKthat  Perrot  gave  of  his  explorations  be- 
yond Lake  Micnigan,  attracted  the  attention  of  La  Salle, 
and  induced  him  to  project  those  enterprises  which  have 
given  distinqtion  to  his  name. 


permitting  him  and  his  comraides, 
Lamonde,  and  Dupuy,  to  repair  to 
the  Outawao  nation  to  ezeoutel  his 
secret  orders,  I  had  him  set  ai  li- 
berty. Immediately  on  his  going 
out,  Sieur  Prevost,  Town-Mayoi^l  qf 
Qaobec,  came  at  the  head  of  sc 
soldiers,  to  force  the  prison,  with 
written  orders  in  these  terms  fropi 
the  governor : — 

" '  Ooant  de  Frontenao,  Oounoillo] 
of  the  King  in  his  Council,  Cbyemoi^i 


and  Lieutenant-General  of  His  Ma- 
jesty in  New  France : 

"  Sieur  Prevost,  Mayor  of  Quebec, 
is  ordered,  in  case  t^e  Intendant  ar- 
rest Pierre  Moreau,  alias  La  Tau- 
pine,  whom  we  have  sent  to  Quebec 
as  bearer  of  despatches,  upon  pre- 
text of  his  having  been  in  the  bush, 
to  set  him  forthwith  at  liberty,  ana 
employ  every  means  for  this  purpose 
at  his  peril.  Don^  at  Montreal,  5th 
September,  1679. 

Fbontknac'  " 


m 
•  If 


\, 


^ 


'.jfj^S^istim^tsi'iiA. 


'^ 


124 


HISTOBY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


.^•jv 


V, 


CHAP'^BR  VI." 


ii-  ■*■ 


^Tiik  same  autumn' th^tDu  Luth  left  Mwtredl  for 
t,he  region  west  of  Lake  &iperior,  LA  Salle  was  at  Fort 
Frontenac,  the  mode^  Kingstpn,  Jbusily «  engaged  in 
maturing  his  plans  for  an  occupation  of^the  Mississippi 
valley.  Diring  the  winter  and  thelMlowing  spring  his 
employee?,  were  occupied  in'building  fvi^sef  t(^||aavi- 
g'ateth^4akes.  ^  Among  those -whj^we^, to  accoih^^  ^^1 

Him  on  the  vpya#  was  Louis  H^|^}  a^rancisdan 
•   priest;  ofjhe  Kecoilect  ord^r.  ^^^^!ff  ;  ' .  > 

The  MfcEuropean  to  explore  the,  Mississippi  above 
.the  moum^of  the  Wiscojisiii;  the  fitst  to  n^-me  and 
^describe  the  Falls  of  Saint  Antliony;  the  first  to  pre- 
sent an  iengraving  of  the  falls  of  ^^iagara  to  the  literary  r 
world ;  the  Minnesotian  will  d^ire  to  kno\if^spmething^ 
of  the  aflteced^nte^and  siibs0quent  life-pf  this  individual;: 
The  acocfunt  of  Mnepin's  e^ly  tfdfJl  chMyxjb-. 
'  tained  from*  the  iftttbduction  to  the  lnipt^rd^in"  edition 
of  tes  book  of  ifavels.;  He  W  Iwm  m''Ath;''an  inland 
'town  of  the  jTeth^rlands.  *  ho^  boyljpod  he^  iohged^ 
to  visit  foreign  <i>i^iries,  and  it  is  not  to  be'  won^^re^. 
^  -4i^that  li,e;as^ed  the  priestly,  office;  for  iieit  t<i-the 
army,  it  was  'th'#  roadi  in  jbhdt  Ige,  ja^M^petion.    Fot 
^    several  years  he  led  quite  a  wandering  me.    A  meiftber 


\^- 


'/•         •<<.■ 


,       ■'.  . 


•■  '•'j/ii^A.      '■■■  :  .  ,  ^  /       '^ 


\  M.)-' 


4 


\-   ' 


HENNEPIN'S  FpNDNESS  0?  ADVENTURE. 


125 


*    " 


©f  the  Recollect  branch  of  .the  Fraj5iQi$cans,;at  one  time    * 
l^e  is  bn  a  beg^g  expeidition  to  some  of  thef  towns  on 
the  sea  coast.  ^.  In  a  few  months  he  occupies  the  post  of 
chaplain  at  aii  hospital,  where  he  Shrives  the  4ying  and 
adihinistersextreme  unction.    From  the  qitiet  of  the  hos- 
pital he  proceeds  to  the  cariip,  land  is  present  at  the  battle 
of  Seneffe,  which  occurred  in  the  year  1674. 
/His  whole  mind,  t\\>m-the  time  that  he  became  sL  . 
priest,  appeai*^Vto  have  b6en  on  ''things  seen  and  tem- 
poral," rather  than  on  those  that ^are  "unseen  aiid 
.eternal."     While  on  duty  at  some  of  the  ports  ^  the 
Straits  of  Dover,,  he  exhibited  the  charact^s^stip' of  an    , 
^  ancient  Athenian  more  than  that  of  a  ^^fessed  sjiQcessor 
of  the  Apostle^,  ^e  sought  out  the  society  6r^arigers 
"who  spent  their  time  in  Nothing  else 'but  either  t^  tell 
>or  to  hear  some  new  thing."   .With  pafect. nonchalance  , 
h^'^nfesses  tliat  notwithstanding  the  nauseating  fumes* 
-of  tobacco,  he  used  to  slip  bel^d  the  doors  of  sailors'  * 
tav^wii^  and  spend  da.ys,  without  regard  to  the  loss  of 
hi§  meals,  listening  to  ^he  adventures  and  haii*-breadth 
esCapegf  of  the  kariners  in  lands  beyond  thfe  s^a. 
^n  the  year  1676  he  received  a  welcome oraer  from 
;Kb  Supegrior,  requjiriM  hiifl  to  embark  for  Canada.    Un- 
aooustomed  to  the  tiSi:ld,^d  arbitrary  in  his  diftposi-  * 
tion,  he  rendered  the£|abiji  ofA#ie  sllpp  in  N^hich  he*' 
sailed  anything  bu^ heaVl^ly .     A|;iti  modem  days,  the 
passengers  in  a  vessel  to  the  hew  woi^dlN^re.  compose^ 
V  <i%eteitogeneoi»  matpiift|«    Theire  we#y<»mg  womeA 
:'*  goi»^out  in  search  ft)r*b*othe«i  or  J|isbftnds,  etelesias- 
.1198;  atoA  tl^o^  engaged  m,^e  thef^ew,.  but  profi^ble, 
oemmarci infturs.  #nepfi|8  feUow^assengers  was  the- 
r  lalented.an4  enterp^pBg,'though  uifortOnate,  La  Sallej 
<5jrith  wh64ii  he  aflS^ur4s;.associat«i.    K  he^is  to  be 


»s» 


■r 


V: 


'••.' 


••  X 


*    ■■> ' 


: •  ■  • ;  y- 


a?«,  »      i^- 


1*  -1      <■       '    ,        . 


«      • 


i: 


-    s 


i  I 


126  HISTOEY  OP  MINNESOTA^  ~, ) 

credited,  his  intercourse  with  La  Salle  was  not  very 
pleasant  on  ship-board.  The  young  women^  tired  of 
being  cooped  up  in  the  n^row  axjcommodations  of  the 
ship,  when  the  evening  was  fair  sought  the  deck,  and 
engaged  in  the  rude  (lances  of  the  French  peasantry  of 
that  age.  Hennepin,  feeling  that  it  was  improper, 
began  to  assume  the  air  of  the  priest,  and  forbade  the 
sport.  La  SaUe,  feeling  that  his  interference  was  un- 
called for,  called  him  a  pedant,,and  took  the  ade  of  the 
^  gu-ls,  Mid  during  the  voyage  there  were  stormy  discus- 
sions.     '        '        j    •  '   ' 

Good  humour  appears  to  have  been  restored  when 
they  left  the  ship,  for  Hennepin  would  otherwise  have 
not  been  the  companion  of  La  Salte  in  his  great  Western 

journey.  . 

Sojourning  for  ft,  short  period  at  Quebec,  the  adven- 
ture-loving Franciscan  is  permitted  to  go  to  a  mission 
station  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Kings- 
ton, Canada  West.  •  '  V 
Here  there  was  much  to  gratify  his  love  of  jiovelty, 
'  and  he  passed  considerable  time  in  rambling  amoiig 
the  Iroquois  of  New  York,  even  penetrating  as  far  , 
eaatward  as  the  Duteh  Fort  Qrange,  now  the  city  ofc 

Albany.  „  .^J*         • 

In  1676  he  returned  to  Quebec,  and  was  ordered  to 
.    join  the  expedition  of  Robert  La  Salle.    ^' ;     -i' 
'^       On  the  6th  of  iWmber  leather  Hemieipm  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  explilfcjK  party  had  entered  the  Niagara 
river.     Intiie  ^^Hky  of  the  Falla,  theinnter  was" 
.  passed,  aAdt  ifhile  the  artisans  were  preparing  a  ship 
^  above  the  Fafifl?  to  tf^ivigate  the  ©f^  lakes^he  Reool- 
[  lect  wilfed'away  the  Hours  in  studying  the  manners  ao^ 


A> 


v.. 


..'.vV  V- 


I. 


•■Vi  r' 


'    J-  .#-  >■■■  ■  . 


[...: 


••    .  ■  »  ■  "   4*"  ^  ,;■  ' 


,":* 


0 


'i-v 


••> 


'■•/N  „». 


--1  .',*• 


M  '"<' . 


u 


■»-       ,>■:■       ,■ 


.THE  SHIP  GBIFFIN.— HENNEPIN. 


•* 


127 


r 


1     '  .  .'i' 

customs  of  the  Seneca  Indians,  and  in  admiring  the 
sublimest  handiwork  of  God  on  the  globe. , 

On  the  7th  of  August,  167i^y  the  ship  being 'CQin- 
pletely  rigged,  unfurled  its  sails  to  the  breezes  of  Lake 
Erie.  Th^  vessel  was  named  the  ' "  Griffin,"  in  lonsTur 
of  the  arms  of  Frontenac,  Governor  of  C^inada,  the  first 
sliip  of  European  construction  that  haea  ev^r  j^oughed 
the  waters  of  the  great  inland  seas  of  Ndltfi  4^erica. 

After  encountering  a  violent. and  dangerous  storm  on 
one  of  the  lakes,  during  wljich  they  had  given  up  all 
hopes  of  escaping  shipwreck,  on  the  27.th  of  the  month, 
they  were  safely  moored  in  the  .harbour  t)f  "Missili- 
mackinack."  ^From  thence  the  party  proceeded  to 
Green  Bay,  where  they  left  the  ship,  procured  canoes, 
and  continued  along  the  coast  6f  Lake  Michigan.  By 
th^Wddle  of  January,  1680,  La  Salle  h|d  conducted 
his  ejmlditic^n  tojthe  Illinois  river,  and  on  an  eipinence 
near  l^i-ke  Peoria,  he  commenced,  with  Aiuch  heaviness 
of  heart,  i\m  erection  of  a  fort,  T^hich  he  called  Creve- 
coeui:,^n  aofcount  of  the  many  disappointments  he  had 
expeaence^. 

La  Salle,  in  the  moyith  of  Fehruaapy,  selected  Henne- 
pm  ^djtwo  trader^  for  the  arduous  and  dangeroui 
undertaking,  of  expiring  the  unknown  regions  of  th« 
upper  Mississippr^iv,.  .  \^  - 

Daring  and  fl^Qbitibus  of  disilncticif  a»  a-  discoverer^ 

Jie  was  not  ft^Ese  .t*  such  a  commission,  though  pei^ 

haps  he  may  haie  ,fjtfunk  from  ihjfe  undertaking  at  so 

inclem^iit  a  sesjioh  as  the  last  of  Febfuwy  is,.ii|  thia 

'    portion  of  Korth  America.^    ^"        -       .        ",        °; 

k .  i  On  the  29th  of  Febniarf,  16^,  wi^  twi?'  ^oy^sutt, 

V  flamed  ^cai^i^u  Gay  and  Mic^ail  Akd,  Hennepin  etnt' 

barked  in  a,  canoe <w  theoiroyap  of  ^iflcovfify.'^^  V  r. 


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128 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


•V  ?)' 


The,venerable  Ribourde,  a  member  of  a  Burgundian 
famil/of  high  rank,  ami  a  fellow .  Franciscan,  came 
down  to  the  river  bank  to  see  him  off,  and,  in  bidding 
him  farewell,  told  him  to  acquit' himself  Irke  a  man,  and 
be  of  good  courage.  His  .words  were,  "■  Viriliter  age  et 
confortetur  cor  tuum."  -  j 

The  canoe  was  loaded  with  'about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars' worth  of<.  merchandise  for  the  purpose  of 
trade  with  the  Indians,  and  in  addition  La  Salle,  pre- 
sented to  Hennepin  ten  knives,  twelve  awls  or  bodkins, 
a  parcel  of  tobacco,  a  package  of  needles,  and  a  pound 
or  two  of  white  or  black  beads.  ' 

The  movements  of  Hennepin,  during  the  month  of 
March,  are  not  very  clearly  related.  He  appears  to 
have  been  detained  ^t  the  junction  of  the  Illinois  with 
•*{he  Mississippi  by  the  floating  ice,  until  near  the  mid- 
dle of  that  month.  He  then  commenced  the  ascent  of 
the  river  for  the  first  time  by  civilized  man,_ihmigh 
Marquette  had,  seven  years  before, -descended  from  the 

'Wisconsin.  >     ;'    ^     -  .   ' 

Surrounded  by  hostile^^d  unknown  natives,  they 

'cautiously  proceeded.     On^  the  11th  of  i  April,  1680jj 

thhrty-three  bark  canoes,  tsontaining  a  Dahkotah;war 

party  against  the  IlUnois  and  Miami  nations,  hove  in 

sigiit,  and  Commenced  discharjging  their  arrows  at  the 

canoe  of  the  Irenchmen.     Perceiving  the  calumet  of 

L  peivje,  they  ceased  their  hostilec  d^moneftbitions  and  4^ 

\  proached.    The  fiyst  night  thai  Hennepin  aaid  his.  CTffla-i, 

'    panions  j^asM  with  the  Dahkotah  .party  was"  on*  of 

'  a»kiet^.*  ^'Minext morning,  a  chi^ loomed "Narfhatoba 

*  %(ed  fop  ^  peaoi?^uinet,.^4<i  H  Tfith  wilkiw  bark; 

a^  all  s^keA    It.Wfi  t^^^  that  the  white 

;n^AjS[gre  fc  return  iK&  tbigm  to  t{ieir  villages.'  *      - 


t^m  -        j.       ■  .  "    ,    .- .  .  •H  ...  'It  ■        ■    ' 


::?  H 


•\ 


"U  <^V' 


V-   ^i^^^Wipff 


FRANCISCAN'S  ATTEMPT  TO  PRAY. 


129 


f 


In  his  narrative'  the  Franciscan  remarks.: — "I  found 
it  difficult  to  say  my  office  before  these  Indians.  Many 
seeing  me  move  my  lips',  said  in  a  fierce  tone,  *  Ouuk- 
anche.'  Michael,  all  out  of  countenance,  told  me,  that 
if  I  continued  to  say  my  breviary,  we  should  all  three 
be  killed,  and  the  Picard  begged  me  at  least  to  pray 
apart,  so  as  not  to  provoke  them.  I  followed  the 
latter'a  advice,  JbiJt  the  more  I  concealed  myself,  the ' 
more  I  ha(Mhe  Indians  at  my  heels,  for  when  I  entered 
the  wood,  tney  thought  I  was  going  to  hide  some  goods 
under  ground,  so  that  I  knew  n»t  on  what  side  to  turn 
to  pray^  for  they  never  let  me  out  of^  sight.  .  This 
obliged  me  to  beg- pardon  of  my  canoe-men,  assuring 
them  ftjould  ^ot  dispense  with  saying%  my  office.  By 
the  word  *Ouakanche,'  the  Indians  meant  that  the 
book  I  was  reading  was  a  spirit,  but  by  their  gesture 
they  nevertheless  showed  a  kirid#f  aversion,  sp.that  to 
a^eiwtom  jyiiem  to  it^  I  chanted  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed 

Jk^'ir^  in  the  fcftnoe,  with  my.  book  opened.  They 
thoii^ght  that,  the  breviary  wail  a  spirit,  which  taught  ;oe 
to  sing  for  their  diyersion,  for  tiiese  people  are  naturoiUy 
fond  of  singing.'^  \     .    .  ;  ^  .  .  ^^ 

^  This  is  the  first''  mention,  of  a  "Dahkotah  word*  mi  a 
European  book.    The  sp.vage8  were   aajm^ed  rather. 

'  than  enraged,  at  seeing  tlie  wh|^  Piftli^BB^^P'  book, 
and^^Ql^lfinied,  "  Wakanide !"  this  i^  Mf^ni^^l  pt  super- 
natui?*!.    The  war  j)arty  was  cganposeA  ofaev^ral  bands 

;pf  the'^'deWaktotonwaii  .Pahkotahs,  and  there  ^ij|  jtt 
diversity'  of  opinion  i^  ftelatioh  to  j^he  disposition^at 


ih%ujd  be  made  of  tlie  white  men.  ,  Th^i^latives  .of 
Uom  who  htti-  Whn  lUle4vfey  l^fe  MlMnis,  -were  in 

,;fayo%,  of  taking  "their  scalps,' but  tfphfers  were  tmjdoufl 

-"■   M-  ■  ■"■»"■         '   -.    ■  '■•  '    ..■>'   .     >  • '  „  ■'," .  •■■.'.'  ^ 


H. 


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180 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


t 


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■'jM' 


1"«i 


i^ 


to  retain  the  favour  of  the  french^and  ogen  a  Iradin^ 

intercourse.  > 

Perceiving  one  of  the  canoe-men  shoot  a  wild  turkey, 
tkfy  called  the  gpn  Manza  Ouackange— iron  that  has 
under&tanding  j  Ace  correctly,  Maza  Wakande,  this  is 
the  supernatural  metal.  '  .        , 

Aquipaguatin,  onfe  (i1^h.e,  head  men,  resorted  to  the 
fdllowing  deviqie  to  obtain  merchandise.  Says  the" 
Father  "thisT^y  savage  had  the  bones  of  soDje  dis- 
tingi^shed  relative,  which  he  preserved  with  great  care 
in  some  skins  dressed  and  adorned  with  seVeral  rows  o£r 
black  and  red  porcupine  quills.  From  ti,me  to  time  he 
assembled  his  men  to.  give  it  a  smoke,  and  made  us 
come  several  days  to  cover  thd  bones  with  goods,  and 
.by  a.present  wipe  away.th^  tears  he  had  .shed  for  him,: 
and  for  his  own  son  killed  by  the  Hiamis.  To  appease 
this  captious  man,  we  threw  on  the  bones  several 
fathoms  of  tobacco,  a^^^s,  knives,  beads,  and  some  black 
and  white  wampum  .bracelets.  *  *•  *  *  *  *  * 
We  slept  at  the  point  of  the  Lsdce  of  Tpa-rs,.'  which  we 
80  called  from  the  tears- which  this  chief  shed  all  night 
long,  or  by  one  of  his  sons  whom  he  caused  to  -weep 
whe^  he  gi?ew  tired."     "  .     *, 

.  .  The  next  day,  •  after  foui;  or  five  leagues'  sail,  a  chi^ 
canie,  and  telling  tiiem  to  leave,  their  canoes,  he  pulled 
up  tllf^' piles  of  grass  for  seats,  then  taking  a  piece 
K^cid&t,  full  of  little  .holes^h^  placed  a  stick  infooi^p, 
iillfch;he;revpLyed  between  the  paWs  of  his  hancJs; 
^til  fie  yndled^li  fire,  and,  informed  the  Frenchmen 
Hfeatttt^^'^ould-i^fttMitleLacin^^"^  Oft  the 

i&i«teentb  day  "rffer  tli^f  qaptjtvit/,  they  arrived  in  **^ 


*l4>icePepi^ 


■'^ 


M* 


t-  -  • 


\ 


HENNEPIN  NEAR  ST.  PAUL.— MILLE  LAC. 


181 


r 


vicinity  of  ^aint  Paul,  not ^  far,  it  is  probable,  from  the 
mkrshy  ground  on  which  the  Kaposi'a  band  once  lived, 
'  and  now  called  "  Pig's  Eye." 

The  journal  remarks,  "  Having  arrived,  on  the  nine- 
^teenth  day  of  our  navigation,  five*leagites  below  St. 
Anthony's  Falls,  these   India,ns  landed  us  in  a  bay,  - 
^^    broke  our  canoe  to  pieces,  and  secreted  their  own  in 
the  reeds."    ^  » 

They  then  followed  the  trail  to  Mille  Lac,  sixty 
T^gues  distant.  As  they  approached  their  villages,  the 
various  bands  began  to  show  their  spoil^  The  tobacco 
was  highly  prized,  and  led  to  some  'c^tention.  The 
chaUc6  of  the  Father,  which  glistened  in  the  'sun,  they 
were  afraid  to  touch/Bupppsing  it  was  "  wakan."^  After' 
five  days'  walk  they  reached  the  Issati  (Dahkotah) 
settlements  in  the  vaUey.of  tl^e  Rum  river.  The  dif- 
ferent bands  each  conducted  a  frenchman  to  their 
^  village,  the  chief  Aquipaguetin  taking  charge  of  Hen- 
nepin. After  marching  through  the  marshes  towards 
the  sources  of  Rum  river,  five  wives  of  the  chief,  in 
three  bark  canoes,  ^met  them  and  took  them  a  shortV 
league  to  an  island  wherelheir  cabins  were. 

An  aged  Indian  kindly  mbbed  down  the  way-worn 

Franciscan — placing  him  a 

.    he  anointed  his  legs  and  th^ 

cat  oil. 

:  The  son  of  the  chief  took  great  pleasure  in  carrying 

upon  his  bare  back  the  priest's  robe  with  dead  men's 

,    bones  enveloped.;   It  was  called  P^re  Louis  Chinnien — 

in  tile  Dahkotah  language  Shinnkor  Shinnan  si^f^s 

•i,  but  plwoonoed  "  wakon,"^  or 


'  7^e  wqrd  for  8up«niatarsl,  ib' 
"%«  D&hkotafa  LeziooDi  is  thas  Bp«H- 


a  bear-skin  near  the  fire, 
soles  of  his  feet  with  wild- 


Ail 


Ml 


^' 


0:. 


\ 


•^^. 


.s=^  1 


.  ^       ( ^'^*  ^.t^  -^^ 


rr  ■"    r 


.» 


i 


1<,2  '  HIStOBT  or  MINltESOTA. 

a  buffalo  robe:    Hennepin's  description  of  his  life  on 

+liP  island  is  in  these  words :— 
'  '  ThTday  after  our  arrival,  Aquipaguetin,  who  was 

the  head  of  a  large  family,  covered  me  with  a  ro^  made 

If  ten  large  dressed  beaver  skins,  tnn^ed.with  porcu- 

rnnills      TlA  Indian  showed  me  five  or  si.x  of  his 

'  Tes  tLgS,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  that  they 

8k)uld  in  future  regard  me  a^  one  of  their  children. 
«  He  set  before  mla  bark  dish  full  of  fish,  and,  seeing  . 

that  I  could  not  rise\from  the  ground,  he  had  a  small 

BWeating-cabin  made,  i\  which  he  made  m.  enter  naked 
with  four  Indians.  T^  cabin  he  covered  with  buffalo 
skins,  and  inside  he  pulstones  reA-hot.  He  madenie 
a  si^  to  do  as  tiie  others\befoi:e  beginning  to  ^weat,  but 
'  I  merely  concealed  my  nakedness  with  a  handkerchief' 
As  soon  as  theSe  Indians  had  several  times  breathed  ; 
out  quite  violently,  he  began-to  siiig  vociferously,  the 
others  putting  their  hands  on  me  and  rubbing  mfe  while 
they  wept  bitterly:  I^began  to  faint,  but  I  came  o^t 
and  could  scarcely  take  my  habit  to  put  on  When  he 
made  me  sweat  thus  three  times  a  week,  I  felt  as  strong 

as  ever."  -  •  .     "^  '    o 

The  mariner's  compafls-  was  a  constant  source  ot 
wonder  and  ama^ei^ent.  Aquipague>  having  aa^em- 
bled  tUe  braves,  would  as^ennepih  .to  Aow  his  com- 
pass. Perceiving  that"  t%  needle  H^Fhed,.  the  chief 
harangued  his  men,  .and  to>  them  th^  the  Europeans 
. «'  were'  spirits,  capable  of  domg  anything.!^        :■ ; 

In  the  Franciscan's  possession  was  in -iron  pot  with 

'    lion  paw  feet,  whicli  the  Indians  ^uld  not  touch  unless 

their  hands  were  wrapped  in  buffalo  skins.      '  . 

me  women  looked  ujwn  it  as, "  wakan,"  and  would 

not  enter  the  cabin  where  \i  was. 

■■■■■-  .  /■.    ■■■    ■    .  ■  .^<^    ■ 


.    ♦     * 


,  .»6^k>  - 


■^ 


QUERIES  OP  THE  DAHKOTAHS. 


183 


"  The  chiefs  of  these  savages,  seeing  that  I  was  de- 
sirous to  learn,  frequently  made  me  write,  naming  all 
the  parts  of  the  human  body;  and  as  I  would  not^put 
on  paper  certain  indelicate  words,  at  which  they  do  not 
blush,  they  were  heartily  amused:" 

They  often  asked  the  Franciscan  questions,  to  answer  < 
which  it  was  necessary  te  refer  to  his  lexicon.     This 
appeared  very  strange,  and,  aa  they  had  n#  word  for 
paper,  they  said,  "That  white  thing  must  be  a  spirit 
which  tells  P^re  Louis  all  we  say." 

Hennepin  remarks  :  "These  Indians  often  asked  me 
how  many  wives  aiid  children  I  had,  and  how  old  I  was, 
that  is,' how  many  winters ;  for  so  these  natives  always 
count  Never  illumined  by  the  light  of  faith,  they  were 
surprised  at  my  answer.  Pointing  to  our  two  French- 
men, ^^^fe)m  I  was  then  visiting,  at  a  point  three  leagues 
from  s' our  village,  I  told  them  that  a  man  among  us 
cquld  only  have  one  wife ;  that,  as  for  me,  I  had  pro- 
mised the  Master  of  life  to  live  as  they  saw  nie,  and*  to 
come,  and  live  with  them  to  teach  .them  to  be  like  the 
French.  ^  ■  ' 

''  But  that  gross  people,  till  then  lawless  and  faithless, 
turned  all  I  said  into  ridicule.  ^  How,'  &aid  they,  *  would 
you  }aif^&  these  two  men  With  thee  have  wives  ?  Ours 
would  not  live  with  them,  for  they  have  hai^^all  over, 
their  face,  and  we  have  none  there  or  elsewhere,' i  -In 
fact  they  Were  never  better  pleased  •witK:6ie  than,  yhen 
shaded,  and  from  a  complaisance^ 'certainlY  not 
laV  I:  ffliaveJ^lveEy  week.   /  -^  *    (    •*'-, 

,.  ^.  ^k-^l  often'^ent  to  visit  the  cabins,  I  found  "4  sick 
fcl^^^hose  fathe^-'p  name  Was  Mameni^.     Michael 


not  accompany  me  j  the  Picard  du  Gay 


alone 


.4 


I    . 


^^^ 


i 


'Is: 


HIS10EY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


,«l 


followed  me  to  act  as  sponsor,^  or  rather  to  witness  the 

baptism.  '  '  t  ~ 

"  I  christened  the  child  Antoinette,  in  honour  of  bt. 
Anthony  of  Padua,  as  well  as  for  the  Picard's  name, 
which  was  Anthony  Auguelle.     He  was  a  native  of 
Amiens,  and  nephew  of  the  Procurator-General  of  the 
Premonstratensians  both  now  at  Paris.    Havmg  poured 
natural  water  on  the  head  and  uttered  these  words  :— 
'  Creature  of  God,  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'  I  took 
half  an  altar  cloth  which  I  had  wrested  from  the  hands 
of  an  Indian  who  had  stolen  it  from  me,  and  .put  it  on 
the  body  of  the  baptized  child;  for  as  I  could  riot  say 
mass  for  want  of  wine  and  Vestments,  this  piece  of  hnen 
could  not  be  put  to  better  use,  than  to  enshroud  the 
first  Christian  child  among  these  tribes.     I  do  not  know 
whether  the  softness  of  the  linen  had  refreshed  her,  but 
she  was  the  next  day  smiling  in  her  mother's  arms,  who 
believed  that  I. had  cured  the  child— but  she  died  soon 
after,  to  my  great  consolation. 

'^  During  my  stay  among  them,  there  arrived  fou 
savages,  wlio.  said  they  were  come  alone  five  hundred 
leagues  from  the  West,  and  had  be^n  four  months  upon 
the  way.  They  assured  us  there  was  no  such  place  ^ 
the  Straits  of  Anian,  and  that  they  had  travelled  with- 
out re^ting,iexcept  to  sleep,  and  had  not, seen  or  passed 
over^^ny  great  lake,  by  which  phrase  they  always  mean 

the  iea.  i 

f  They  further  informed  us  that  the  nation  of  the 

Assenipoulacs  ( Assiniboines)  who  lie  north-east  of  Issati, 

V  4as  not  above  six  or  seven  days'  journey ;  that  pone  of 

"^^the  nations,  within  their  knowledge,  who  lie  to  the  east 


,  1  ^A^&^-Aa.-l..mS^ .  ■iil 


^■■f.^.  J      T<.-<^^t^    iL^\ijt' 


■/,'<f  t(>*/J'S 


'■;v7**??!Tf'" 


vy. 


^<f- 


FALSEHOODS  OF  HENNEPIN. 


135 


or  north-west,  had  any  great  lake  about  their  countries, 
which  were  very  large,  but  only  rivers  whic|i  came 
from  the^rth.     They  further  assured  us  that  there 
were  vIJBrw  forests  in  the  countries  through  which 
they  passed,  insomuch  that  now  and  then  they  were 
forced  to  make  fires  of  buffaloes'  dung  to  boil  their  food. 
All  these  circumstances  make  it  appear  that  there  is  no 
such  place  as  the  Straits  of  Anian,  as  we  usually  see 
them  set  down  on  the  maps.     And  whatever  efforts 
have  been  made  for  many  years  past  by  the  English 
and  Dutch,  to  find  out  a  passage  to  the  Frozen  Sea,  they 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  effect  it.     But  by  the  help  of 
my  discovery,  and  the  assistance  of  God,  I  doubt  not 
but  a  passage  may  still  be  found,  and  that  an  easy  one 

too. 

"  For  example,  we  may  be  transported  into  the  Paci- 
fic Sea,  by  rivers  which  are  large  and  capable  of  carry- 
ing great  vessels,  and  from  thence  it  is  very  ea^y  to  go  to 
China  and  Japan,  loithout  crossing  the  equinoctial  line, 
and,  in  all  probability,  Japan  is  on  the  same  continent  as 

It  is  painful  to  witness^a  member  of  the  sacred  pro- 
fession  so  mendacious  as  Hennepin.  After  publishing 
a  tolerably  correct  account  of  his  adventures  in  Minne- 
sota, in  1683,  at  Ppis,  fifteen  years  after  he  issued 

>  another  edition  greatly  enlarged,  in  which  he  claims  to 
have  descended  the  Mississippi  towards  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  as  well  as  discovered  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 
As  the  reader  notQS  his  glaring  contradictions  in  this 
last  work,  he  is  surprised  that  the  author  should  have 

,  been  bold  enough  to  contend,  tl^  the  statements  were 
reUable.     Though  a  large  portip  was  plagiarized  from 


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186 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA, 


;^'' 


*""^rf< 


the  acoDiints  of  other  travellers,  it  had  a  rapid  sale,  and 
was  translated  into  several  languages/ 

*  The  fQllowinj5  will  give  some  his  third  vol. ;  No.  1  «up.,  being  his 

idea  of  the  popularity  of  Hennepin's  first,  and  No.  7  swp.  his  second, 

narrative.    It  was.  prepared  by  Dr.  Rich. 

O'Callaghan,  for  the  Historical  Ma-  12.  An  edition  in  Dutch.     4to. 

gazine,  Jan.  1858,  and  is  believed  to  Utrecht,  1698i    J.  R.  B. 

be  nearly  a  complete  list  of  the  seve-  13.  Nouveau  Voyage.      Amster- 


ral  editions  of  Hennepin's  books : 

No.  1.  Description  de  la  Louisiane. 
12mo.  Paris,  1683.  Meusel.  Ter- 
naux.  No.  985.  .     ^ 

2.  The  same.  12mo.  Paris,  1684. 
Rich.,  in  No.  403  of  1683.  * 

3.  Descrizione  della  Luisiana. 
12mo.  Bologna,  1686.  Rib.  Belg. 
Meusel  Temaux,  No.  1,012.  Trans- 
lated by  Casimir  Frescot. 

4.  Description  de  la  Louisiane. 
12mo.  Paris,  1688.  Richarderie 
Faribault. 

-  5.  Beschryving  van  Louisiana. 
4to.  Amflterdam,  1688.  Harv. 
Cat. 

6.,  Besohreibung,  &o.  12mo. 
Nurnberg,  1689.  Me'usal.  Temaux, 
No.  1041. 

7.  Nouvelle  Deoouverte.  ]2nio. 
Utrecht,  1697.  Temaux,  1095. 
"  Nouvelle  Description,"  Meusel. 
Faribault. 

8.  The  same.  12mo.  Amsterdam, 
1698.    Temaux,  No.  1110. 

9.  New  Discovery.  London,  1698. 
Temaux,  No.  1119,  who  calls  it  a 
4to. ;  all  the  other  catalogues  an  8vo. 
J.  R.  B.  says  2v. ;  but  see  Rich. 

10.  Another,,  same    title.      8vo. 


dam,  1698.    FiSt^bault. 

14.  A  New  Discovery  of  a  Vast 
Country,  Ac.  8vo.  London,  Bon- 
vriok,  1699.  t.  f.  Ded.  4ff.  Pref. 
2ff.  Cont.  3ff.  Text,  pp.  240'and 
216,  with  tit.,  pref.  and  cont.  to  part , 
n. ;  two  maps,  six  plates.  [Not  in 
any  catalogue.]  ,  ^ 

16.  Relaijion,  de  mi^eLjs,  &c. 
12mo.  Brusselas,  1699.  Temaux, 
1126.  A  translation  into  Spanish 
by  Seb.  Fem.  de  Medrano. 

16.  Neue  Entdekungen  vielto 
grossen  Landschaften  in  Amerika. 
12mo.  Bremen,  1699.  Temaux, 
1049,  who  gives  the  date  incorrectly, 
1690.  Translated  by  Langen.  Meu- 
sel, No.  6  of  J.  R.  B.,  and  an  edition 
in  German  of  No.  7.  •  Supra. 

17.  Voyage  ou  Nouvelle  Deoou- 
verte. 8vt>.  Amsterdam,  1704. 
Meusel,  Rich.,  No.  8. 

18.  The  same.  §vo.  Amsterdam, 
1^1.  Meusel.  Faribault  says 
"  Nouvelle  Description." 

19.  The  -same.  12mo.  Amster* 
dam,  1712.    J.  R.  B. 

20.  A  Discovery  of  a  large,  rich, 
to.     8vo.     London,  1720.     Rich., 

No.  la. 

.4  21.  Noovelle  Description.     Am- 


London,  1698.    J.  R.  B. 

11.  Nonveau    Voyage.        12mo.  "^fdam,  1720.    Faribault. 
Utrecht,  1^9.    Temaux,  No.  lUW        22.  Nouvelle    Decouverte.      4to. 
2?^  Bib.  Befg.    Hennepin  calls  this    Amsterdam^  17^7.   ^ichairderie.   In 


■i-  "■" 


♦ 


^iiiM 


'Z^- 


KING  OP  FRANCE  DISSATISFIED  WITH  HENNEPIN.         137^ 

No  doubt  much  of  thf  infonnation  which  the  author  . 
obta,ined  in  relation  to.  Minnesota,  was  obtained  from 
Du  Luth,  whom  he  met  in  the  Dahkotah  country,  and 
with  whom  he  descended  the  Mississippi  on  his  return 

to  Canada. 

Having  made  a  favourable  acquaintance  with  EngUsh 
gentleiien,  he  dedicated  the  edition  of  his  work,  pub- 
Ushed  at  Utrecht,  in  1698,  to  King  Wilham,  and  the 
contents  induced  'the  British  to  send  vessels  to  enter 
the  Mississippi  river.     Callieres,  Governor  of  Canada, 
writing  to  Pontchartrain,'  the  Minister,  says,  "I  have 
•  learned  that  they  are  preparing  vessels  in  England  and 
Holland  to  take  possession  of  Louisiana,  upon  the  rela- 
tion of  P^re  Louis  Hennepin,  a  EecoUect  who  has  made 
a  book  and  dedicated  it  to  Kmg  WiUiam.'*       „ 

After  he  had  eariied  a  reputation,  not  to  be  coveted, 
he  desired  to  return  to  America,  and  Louis  XIV.,  in  a  - 
despateh  to  Callieres,  writes,  "His  majesty  has  been 
informed  thatjlther  Hennepin,  a  Duteh  Erancisdan, 
who  has  formerly  been  m  Canada,  is  desirous  of  return- 
ing thither.  As  his  majesty  is  not  satisfied  with  the 
conduct  of  the  friar,  it  is  his  pleasure,  if  he  return 
thither,  that  they  arrest  and  send  him  to  the  Intendant 
of  Biochefort." 

In  the  year  1701  he  waa  still  m  Europe,  attached  to 
a  Convent  in  Italy."  He  appears  to  have  died  in 
obscurity,  unwept  and  unhonoured. 


Histoire  des  InoM.  A  tnuagUtion  of 
GaroiiaMO  de  \h  Vega  bj  Rouweler. 
23.  Neue  Entdekungon,  Ac.  Br** 
men,  1742.  The  Banio  as  No.  16, 
with  a  new  title  page.  .   ^ 


1  May  12, 1690.  See  Smith^j  Hiat 
Wisconain,  vol.  i.,  p.  318. 
'   »  Historical  Magaiine,  Bottom  p. 

aie/voi.  L 


188 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


'^' 


Du^lfljth  and  not  Hennepin  was  considered  the  real 
discoverer  of  Minnesota.  Le  Clercq  remarks,  |hat  **  in 
the  last  year  of  M.  de  Frontena^'s  first  administration, 
Sieur  du  Luth,  a  nqan  of  talent  and  experience,  opened 
a  way  to'the  missionaries  and  the  gospel  in  many  dif- 
ferent nations,  turning  toward  the  north  of  that  lake 
(Superior),  wherefhe  ey^  built  a  fort.  He  advanced 
as  far  as  the  Lake  of  the  Issati  (Mille  La<^,  called  Lake 
Buade,  from  the  family  name  of  M.  de  Frontenac." 

In. the  month' of  June,  1680,  he  ]eft  his  post  on  Lake 
Superior,  and  with  two  canoes,  an  Indian,  and  four 
Frenchmen,  entered  a  river,  eight  leagues  below,  ascend- 
ing to  the  sources  of  which]  he  made  a  portage  to  a  lake, 
which  is  the  head  c^^river  that  entered  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi. ProceediJBward  the  Dahkotah  villages  he 
meif  Hennepin,  wtfifT  party  of  Ilidians.  i^ 

Jletuming  to  >^uebec,  Du  Luth  visited  France,  .and 
conferiM  with  the  Minister  of  the  Colonies,  but  in 
1683,  he'was  at  Mackinaw  fortifying  the  post  against 
a  threatened  attack  by  the  lavages,  and  sending  ex- 
presses to  the  Indians  north  and  west  of  Lake  Superior, 
who  traded  at  Hudson's  Bay  with  the  English,  to  come 
and' traffic  with  the  ^French.  i 

In  the  spring  of  1^83,  Governor  De  La  Barre  sent 
twenty  men,  under  the  command  of  Nicholas  Perrot,  to 
establish  frendly  alliances  with  the  loways  and  Dah- 
kotahs.  Proceeding  to  the  Mississippi,  he  established  a 
post  below  the  mouth  of  ^e  "  Ouiskohche"^  (Wiscon- 
sin), which  was  known  as  Fort  St.  Nicholas.* 

He  found  the  Miamies,  Fox^s,  and  Maskoutens,  at  wai* 


» La  Potherie. 


*  BeUin. 


-,*; 


^»i1l^ -T^Ut.'^tt  l5^J<l^fUk*^_JbjLi^ 


^  *  '  AiifcHs  _r 


^ 


.r« 


ft 


ifeSpa. 


PERfe5pa.INTERVIEW  WITH  DAHKOTAHS— LEAD  MINES.  139  f 

with  the  Dahkotahs,  who  were  at  thq^t  time  in  alliance 
with  their  old  foes,  the  Ojibways. 

Frenchmen  visited  the  Dahkotahs  during  the  winter; 
and,  at  the  opening  of  navigation,  a  deputation  of  them 
came  down  to  the  post,  and  carried  Perrot  with  great . 
parade,  on  a  robe  of  beavers,  to  the  lodge  of  theii^chief, 
chanting  songs,  and  weeping  over  his  head^cording  to 

custom. 

He  learned  from  the  DaJflkotahs  a  droll  adventure. 
The  Hurons,  who  had  fled  to  them  for  refuge,  at  length 
excited  them  to  wjr.  The  Hurons  secreted  themselves 
in  marshes,  keeping  their  heads  only  out  of  water.  The 
Dahkotahs,  knowing  that  they  would  travel  in  the  night, 
devised  an  ingenious  stratagem.  Gutting  up  be&ver-skins 
into  cords,  they  stretched  them  curound  the  marshes,  and 
suspended  bells  on -them  wiiich  they  had  obtained  from 
the  French.  W^en  night  came  the  Hurons  marched, 
and,  stumbling  over  the  unseen  cords,  they  rung  the 
bells,  which  was  a  signal  for  the  attack  of  the  Dahko- 
tahs, who  iilied  the  whole  party  with  one  exception. 

While  Uey  were  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  pillaged 
"the "goods  of  some  Frenchmen;  but,  under  the  threats 
of  Perrot,  they  were  brou^t  back^. 

The  Miamies  brought  to  the  posfl&nps  of  lead,  which 
they,said  were  found  between  the  rocks,  on^  the  banks  of 
a  small  stream  which  flowed  into  the  Mississippi,  about 
two  days'  journey  below  ihat  point.  These  were  pro- 
bably the  mmes  of  Galena,  which  are  marked  on  De 
I'Isle's  maps  of  the  Mississippi. 

In  the  month  of  Match,  1684,  notwithstanding  all 
the  attempts  of  the  French  to  keep  the  peace,  a  band 
of  Seneca  and  Cayuga  warriors,  having  met  seven  canoes 


I 


H 


"l^-f-^ 


-^i' 


uo 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


-)      ' 


manned  byfout^een  Frenchmen,  with  fifteen  or  sixteen 
thousand  pounds  of  merchandise,  who  were  going  to 
trade  with  the  "Scioux,"  pillaged  and  made. them 
prisoners ;  and,  after  detaining  them  nine  days,  sent 
th^m  away  without  arms,  food,  or  jcanoes.  This  attack 
caused  much  alarm  in  Canada  ;-5Etnd  Du  Luth,  who 
appeared  to  have  been  in  command  at  Green  Bay,  was 
ordered  by  the  Governor  of  Canada  to  come  and  state 
the  number  of  allies  he  could  bring.  ■    '^" 

Perrot,  who  happened  to  be  engaged  in  trade  among 
the  Outagamis  (Foxes),  not  very  far  distant  from  the 
bay,  rendered  him  great  assistance  in  collecting  allies. 

With  great  expedition  he  came  to  Niagara,  the  place 
of  rendezvous,  with  a  band  6f  Indians,  and  would  alone 
have  attacked  the  Senecas,  had  it  not  been  for  an 
express  order  from  De  La  Barre,  the  governor,  to 
desist.  ^\.  ! 

When  Louis  XIV.  heard  of  thig  outbreak  of  the  Iro- 
quois, he  felt,  to  use  his  words,  "  that  it  was  a  grave 
misfortune  for  the  colony  of  New  France,"  and  then,  ja 
his  letter  to  the  governor,  he  adds :  "  It  appears  ta  me 
that  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  war  arisies  from 
one  Du  Luth  having  caused  two  Iroquois  to  be  killed 
who  had  assassinated  two  Frenchmen  in  Lake  Superior, 
and  you  sufficiently  see'  haw  much  this  mans  voyage, 
which  cannot  produce  any  advantage  to-  the  colony, 
and  which  was  permitted  only  in  the  interest  of  some 
private  persons,  has  contributed  to  distract  the  repose 
of  the  colony."  V 

The  EngKsh  of  New  Ycwrk,  knbwing  the  hostility  of 
thei  IlSquois  to  the  French,  ufcwl  the  opportunity  to  trade 
with  the  distant  Indians.  In  1685^  one  Boseboom,  vrith 


\  ^  • 


^ 


J       '  -I  ♦_        t  _i"*  jEir     J. 1. 


L   .^wi^lbS^Jx 


\ 


1. 


DU  LUTH.— ENGLIsfe  CAPTURED. 


141 


some  young  men,  had  traded  with  the  Ottawas  in  Michi- 
gan. \  '     ' 

In  the  year  1686,  an  old  Frenchman,  who  had  lived 
among  the  Dutch  and  English  in  New  iTork,  came  to 
Montreal,  to  visit  a  child  at  the  Jesuit  boarding-school ; 
and  he  stated  that  a  Major  McGregory,  of  Albany,  was 
contemplating  an  expedition  to  Mackinac. 

Denonville  having  declared  war  in  1687,  most  of  the 
French  left  the  region  of  the  Mississippi.  Perrot  and 
Boisguillot,  at  the  time  trading  near  the  Wisconsin, 
leaving  a  few  "  coureurs  des  bois"  to  protect  their  goods 
from  the  Dahkotahs,  joined  Du  Luth,  who  was  in  com- 
mand at  Green  Bay. 

The  Governor  of  Canada  ordered  Du  Luth  to  proceed 
to  the  present  Detroit  river,  and  watch  whether  the  Eng- 
lish passed  into  Lake  St.  C^lair.  In  accordance  with  the 
order,  he  left  Green  Bay.  Being  provided  with  fiftv 
armed  men,  he  established  a  post  called  Fort  St.  Joseph, 
some  thirty  miles  above  Detroit. 

In  the  year  1687,  on  the  19th  qt  May,  the  brave  and 
distinguished  Tonty,  who  was  ci  cousin  of  Du  Luth, 
arrived  at  Detroit,  from  ^lis  fort  oi\the  Illinois.  Duran- 
taye  and  Du  Luth,  knowuig  that  he  had  arrived,  came, 
down  from  Fort  St.  Joseph  with  thirty  captive  Enghsh. 
Here  Tonty  and  Du  Luth  joined  forces  and  proceed^ 
toward  the  Iroquois  country.  As  they  were  coasting 
Lake  Erie,  they  met  and  captured  Major  McGregopr,  of 
Albany,,  then'on  his  way  with  thirty  Englishman,  to 
trade  with  the  Indians  at  Mackinac.  :  \     '^ 

Du  Luth  having  readied  Lake  Ontario,  we  find  ^im 
engaged  in  ^hat  conflict  with  the  Senecas  of  the  Get^e- 
me  valley,  when  Father  Angleran,'thfe. superintended 
of  the  Miickinac  mission,  was  severely  "but  not  mortally  \ 


<. 


^iiii  ^M.^ '' 


'  L  'l,^  -^it  iJii 


X 


-( •-••  • 


•■  / 


*v 


/ 


142 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


wounjied.    After  this  battle,  he  returned,  in  company 
with  Sonty,  to  his  post  on  the  Detroit  river.^ 


1  Baovn  La  Hon  tan  speaks  of 
GrisolTn  de  la  Tourette  being  at 
Niagak  in  August,  1687,  and  calls 
him  a  brother  of  Du  Luth. 

^n  1*^,  immediately  previous  to 
the  burning  of  Schenectady,  we  find 
him  fighting  the    Iroquois  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  there  is  reason 
to  suppose  that  he  was  engaged  in 
the  midnight   sack  of  that  town. 
As  late  as  the  year  1696,  he  is  on 
duty  at  Fort  Frontenac;  but  after 
the  peace  of  Ryswick,  which  occa- 
sioned a  suspension  of  hostilities,  we 
hear  but  little  more  of  this  man, 
who  was  the  first  of  whom  we  have 
any  account,  who  came  by  way  of 
Lake  Superior  to  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi. 

The  letter  of  one  of  the  Jesuit 
-fathers,  shows  that  in  some^  things 
he  was  as  superstitious  as  the  DWi- 
-kotahs,  vrith  whom  he  once  traded. 
While  in  command  of  Fort  Fronte- 
nac, in  1696,  he  gave  the  following 

certificate : 
"I,  the  subscriber,  certify  to  all 

whom  it  may  concern,  that  having 


been  tormented  by  the  gout  for  the 
space  of  twenty-three   years,  and 
with  such  severe  pains  that  it  gave 
me  no  rest  for  the  space  of  thre^ 
months  at  a  time,  I  addressed  myself 
to  Catherine  Tegahkouita,  an  Iro- 
quois virgin,  deceased  at  the  Sault 
Saint  Louis,  in  the  reputation  of 
sanctity,  and  I  promised  her  to  visit 
her  tomb  if  God  should  give  me 
health  through  her  intercession.    I 
have  been  so  perfectly  cured  a]b  the 
end  of  one  novena  which  I  made  in 
her  honorfr,  that  after  five  months  I 
have  not   perceived    the    slightest 
touch  of  my  gout.    , 

"  Given  at  Fori  Frontenac,  this 
18th  day  of  August,  1696. 

"J.  Di  Luth,  Capt.  of  the  Marine 
Corps,  Commander  Fort  Frontenac." 
He  died  in  1710.  The  despatch 
announcing  the  fact  to  the  Home 
Government,  is  expressive  in  its  sim- 
plicity :  Capt.  Du  Luth  is  dead,  "  he 
(was  an  honest  man."  Who  vrould 
wish  more  said  of  him  ?  His  name 
is  spelled  Du  Luth,  Du  Lut,  Dulhut, 
and  De  Luth,  in  the  old  dooumeots. 


r 


"».. 


4..    ... 


'^TUk!* 


^ 


FORMAL  OCCUPANCY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


/ 


14^ 


-^'^ 


HAPTER  VII. 

Although  Du  Luth  and  Hennepin  had  visited  Minne- 
sota, France  laid  no  formal  claim  to  the  country,  until 
the  year  1689,  when  Perrot,  accompanied  by  Le  Sueur, 
Father  Marest,  and  others,  planted  the  cross  and  affixed 
the  arms  of  Fran^|^ 

The  first  officia^Mcuipent  pertaining  to  Minnesota  is 
worthy  of  preservation,  and  thus  reads : — 
* .  "  Nicholas  Perrot,  commanding  for  the  King,  at  the 
post  of  the  Nadouessioux,  commissioned  by  the  Marquis 
D^nonville,  Governor  and  Lieutenant-Governor  of  all. 
New  France,  to  manage  the  interests  of  commerce  'i# 
among  all  the  Indian  tribes,  and  people  of  the  Bay  des 
Puants,^  Nadouessioux,"  Mascoutins,  and  other  western 
nations  of  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  to  take  possession 
in  the  King's  name  of  all  the  places  where  he  has  here- 
tofore been,  and  whither  he  will  go. 

"  We,  this  day,  the  eighth  of  May,  one  tllousand  six 
hundred  and  eighty-nine,  do,  m  the  presence  of  the 
Reverend  Father  Marest  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  mis- 
sionary among  the  NadouSisio"^  >  o^  Mpnsieur  de  Borie- 

'       /     '  %-  ,  ,  '  "  ■  ■-' 

» Green  Bay,  WisooMin.  *' -  'Dahkotahs. 


^^ 


^ 

--*■ 


S  ■ 


'^'11 


il 


ifl 


IK 


■^■jf/f'T  ""^yjy-"  "n«?!^ 


'■^^., 


•••^fV  i 


144 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


^ 


guUloV  commanding  the  French  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Ouiskonche^  on  the  Mississippi;  Augustin  Legar- 
deur,  Esquire,  Sieur  de  Caumont,  and  of  Messieurs  Le 
Sueur,  Hebert,  Lemire,  and  l^lein :  , 

"Declare  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  that,  being 
come  from  the  Bay  des  Puants,  and  to  the  ^Lake  of  the 
Ouiskonches,  and  to  the  river  Mississippi,  w6  did  trans- 
port ourselves  to  the  country  of  tl^e  Nadouessioux^^on 
the  border  of  the  river  St.  Croix/  and  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  St.  Pierre,*  on  the  bank  of  which  were  the 
Mantantans;'  and,  farther  up  to  the  interior  to  the 
north-east  of  the  Mississippi,  as  far  aa  the  Menchoka- 
tonx,"  with  whom  dwell  the  majority  of  the  Songes- 
kitons,  and  other  Nadouessioux,  who  are  to  the  north- 
east of  the  Mississippi,  to  take  possession  for,  and  in  the 
name  of  the  King,  of 'the  coimtries  and  rivers  inhabited 


^  Charlevoix  writei 
'Wisconsin,  (Foft 


/ 


^illot. 

Nicholas,) 
Ouiskonche,  Mesc^ing,  Ouiscon- 
sing,  Wiskonsan,  are  some  of  the 
former  spellings  of  this  word. 

»  This  is  not  ecclesiastical  in  its 
"associations,  but  named  after  Mens. 
Saint  Croix,  who  was  drowned  at  its 
mouth.-«-ia  Harp^s  Louisiana. 

*  Nicollet  supposes  that  this  river 
bore  the  name  of  Capt.  St.  Pierre. 

*  The  Dahkotahs  have  a  tradition, 
that  a  tribe  called  Onktok^dan,  who 
lived  on  the  St.  Croix  just  above  the 
lake,  was  exterminated  by  thcFoxes. 

At  an  early  date  the  Mde-wa-kan- 
ton-wan  division  of  the  Dahkotah 
tribe  split  into  two  parties,  one  of 
which  was  denominated  Wa-kpa-a- 
ton*we-dan,  and  the  other  Ma-tan- 
«^ ton-wan.  TQ^ie  former  name  signifies, 
^Tboaerwho-d  wfiB-ffli-the^r9gk,v^ 


cause  they  had  th6ir  village  on  Rice 
Creek,  a  stream  which  empties  into 
the  Mississippi  seven  miles  above 
the  Falls  of  St  Anthony.    The  sig- 
nification of  the  latter  name  ip  un- 
known.   It  is  said  that  Tarte-psin, 
■yVa-su-wi-oa-xtarxni,    Ta-can-rpi-sar 
pa,  A-nog-i-na  jin,  Ru-ya-pa,  and  Ta- 
oan-ku-wa-xte,  whose  names  signify, 
respectively,  Bounding-Wind,  Bad- 
Hail,  Black-Tomahawk,  He-stands- 
both-sides,  Eagle-Head,  and  Good- 
Road,  are  descendants  of  the  Wa-kpa- 
a-ton-we-dan.— Wa-ku-te,  Taro-ya-te- 
du-ta,  Ma-zarTO-ta,  Ma-rpi-ya-ma-za, 
Ma-rpi-wi-oa-xta,  and    Xa-kpe-dan. 
are  B«d  to  be  Ma-tan-ton-wans.  The 
respective  signification  of  their  names 
is  as  follows:  fihooter,  His-scarletr 
people,  Grey-Iron,  Iron-Cloud,  Sky- 
Man,  and  Little-six. 
*  M'daywawkawntwawQg. 


i=iB<i^:,J^,^-, 


,  V  ii:  «j£^aLi  <i9\^iiLS%^ 


piRpvinmppRPWiiPP 


/ 


iFORT  AT  LAKE  PEPIN. 


145 


by  the  said  tribes,  and  of  which  they  di*e  proprietors. 
The  present  act  done  in  our  presence,  signed  with  our 
hand  and  subscribed."^  ' 

The  first  French  establishment  in-^innesota  was  on 
the  west  shore  of  Lake  Pepin,  a  short  distance  above 
the  entrance.^  On  a  map  of  the  year  1700,  it  was 
called  Fort  Bon  Secours ;  three  years  later  it  was  marked 
Fort  Le  Sueur,  and  abandoned;^  but  in  a  much  later 
map  it  is  correctly  called  Fort  Perrot.*  '       ,      . 

The  year  that  Perrot  visited  Minnesota,^  Frontena«, 
who  had  been  recalled  se^sen  years  before,  was  recom- 
missioned  as  Governor  of  Canada.     He  issued  orders 
that  the  Fi*enchmen  in  Ihe  upper  Mississippi  country  ^ 
should  return  to  Mackinaw.     '  .     ^         . 

Frontentc  was  dogmatic  and  overbearing,  though 
deeply  interested  in  the  extension  o£  the'^power  of  " 
France.  During  the  first  term  of  ofl&ce  he  had  ojJposed 
the.  ecclesiastics,  who  deplored  the  ill  effects  of  -txxm 
and  licentious  "  coureurs  des  bois"  upon  the  morals  of 
the  savages,  and  desired  both  excluded  from  the  country. 
He  had  no  interest  in  Christianity,  and  still  less  con£- 
dence  in  the  Jesuits.  In  a  coi^munication  to  the 
government  he  bluntly  ^^d,  to  Colbert  the  iainister, 
'-^To  speak  frankly  to  you,  they  think'as  much  about 
the  conversion  of  beavers  as  of  souls.  Jhe  majority  of 
their  missions  are  mere  mockeries."  *  '^   > 

Learning  that  Durantaye,  the  Commajidant  at  Macki- 


"\- 


^  Then  are  given  the  names  of 
those  already  mentioned.  This  re- 
cord was  drawn  op  at  Green  Bay, 
Wisconsin. 


10 


^ 


*    .         'V. 

»  Bellin's  description  of  Map  of 
North  America*     ,     ( 

»  rje  I'Isle's  Jilap?  1700,  and  1703 
Thi^,  last  name  appbais  incorrect.  • 

*Sefe  Jeffery^  Map,  1762. 


1 


■  ^|'?^*'.-;-'5i^-;';''^  "^ 


-^-, 


146 


;     HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


naw,  was  disposed  to  be  friendly  to  missionary  schemes, 
he  superseded  him  by  the  appointment  of  Lou^vigny,     j' 

Perrot,  who  was^  on  a  vi^it  to  Montreal,  conducted 
the  neW^  commander  t^his  post,  where  he  found  the 
Ottawas  wavering,  and  about  to  carry  their  peltries  to^ 
'    the  English;  but  by  his  uncommon  taxjt^he  regained 
their  confidence,  and  a  flotilla  0|f  one  hundred  canoes, 
.  )  with  furs  valued" at  one  hundred  thousand  crowns,', 

started  towards  Montreal.   '    ^ 

On  the  eighteenth  of  August,  1690,  the  citizens  of  that 

city  perceived  the  waters  of  the  Saint  Lawrence  dark- 
ened by  djBScending  canoes,  and  supposing  ^at  they 
were  filled  by  the  dreaded  Iroquois,  alarm-guns  were 
fired  to  call  in  the  bitizens  from  the  country;  blit  this 
terror  was  soon  turned  to  joy,  by  a  messenger  arriVing  / 
»    '  -     with  the  intelligence  thai  it  was  a  party  of  five  hundred 

Indiilfts,  of  various  tribes  near  Mackinaw,  who  had 
coille  to  the  city  to  exchange  their  peltries.     So  large 
^    ..  a  number  from  tfie  North- West  had  not  appeared  for 

years;  and,  on  the  twenty-fifth,  Count  Fronteiiac  gave 
them  a  grand  feast  of  two  oxen,  six  large  dogs,'  two 
,  barrels  of  jmie,  and  some  prunes,  with  a  plentiful 

supply  of  tobacco.  .       ^ 

The  Ottawas  in  council  demanded  theTneaning  of  the 
^       "  hatchet  Perrot  had  hung  in  their  cabm.  rr 

\    .  ^       Frohtenac  told  them  that  they  wew  aware  ^i  the 

.   tidings  he  had  received,  that  a  powerful  army  was  cq&   . 

-  ,       ing  to  ravage  liis  country;  that  all  that  was  necessary 

to  conclude  was  ^he  mode  of  proceeding,  whether  to  go 

and  meet  this  army,  or  to  wait  for  it  with  a  frcrn  foot; 

■  that  he  put  into  their  hands  the  hatchet  which,  had  been 

formerly  given  them,  and  had  since  been  kept  suspended 


r 


w 


Y^^,^>,...^.^..  ,  -^■.  ■„.  ■*fc;i|[pijT ''I'-^fi^" 


.  j«ii»iipif(aiip,pinj  I;  iii,.pijii, « J 


\) 


;t 


LONQl  1)ESIRED  PELTRIES  ARRIVE  AT  MONTRE'aL.         14T 


'■'%.,, 


for  thenijlajad.  h6  doubteii  not  they  would  make^.goocl 
use  of  it.'   ^'      '  "         ->-  V         '^  - 

;  ^.    He  then,,  hatchet  in  hand,  sung  the  war  song,Jn 
'which  the  Indians  joined.       ,    '^  ' 

The  increasiag^Iroquois  and  English  hostilitjr  made . 
it  a  dangerous  undertaking  W  transport  in  can&es  to  or 

from.  Mackinaw.  >    • 

Lieutenant  D'Argenteuil  was  de6(t)atched  by  Frontenac' 
An  1692,  with  eighteen  Canadians  on  increased  pay  to 
Mackinaw,  with  an  order' to  ^Jjouvigny,  the  commander, ' 
^iq^  send  ddwn  all  the  Frenchmen  |hat  could  be  spa^^^ 
\  from  th^  N^orth-West,  and  the  large  amount  X)f  peltri^ 
^  tljathad  accumulated  at  his^post. 

.    On  the  seventeenth  of,  August  two  hundred  canoes 

-  filled  with  Frenchmen  afad  Ottawas  arrived  from  the 

ut>p^  country  at  Montreal  with  the  long-detained  furs. 

•  "  The  merchant,  the  farmer,  and  oth^r  individuals  who 

might  have  some  peltries  there^  were  dying  of  hunger, 

with  property  th^  co^ld  not  enjoy.    Credit  was  ex- 

hausted,-^nd  the  j^i:phen8ion  univ^al  that  the  Eng- 

-^  lish  might  seize  this  last  resource  of  the  country  while 

.it  was  on  the  way.     Terms  saflBciently  strong  were  Aot 

^      to  be  found  to  praise  anci  l^ess  him  by  whose  care  so 

much  property  had" arrived."^s>,^^ 

Tilfe  Intlian^  were:  entertained  at  ^he  governor's  table, 
and  on  Sunday,  the  sixth  of  September,  tliere  was  a 
grand  war  dance.    The  next  day  they  received  presents, ; 
and  during  the  week  returned  to  iheii*  own  country. 

The  French  soon  followed  under  the  direction  of 
Tonty,  Commandunt  ofthe  niindlll.    La  Motte,  Cadil- 
lac, aind  B'Argenteuil  shortly  after  were  ordered  to 
,  Mackinaw,  Louvigny  being  recalled.    Perrot  was  sta^ 

J~~       •  '  P»riB  Doc.  toUx,    NTY.CetHUt.    ,      - 


^ 


<  "^'1 


f  y 


~7 


:Um^ 


^-^- 


\  . 


ei"jg|j!W"^?f*  fl'*T^-7>«''T*  ■'•;g5i^9'."5S«f"Jr  ""^Ei  ^'-%;'/'  'rsf^jig'WT'sj  'v 


'148        °  HISTOEY  OF  MINNESOt|. 

tioned  among  the  Miamis,  at  a  place  called  "  Malamek," 
in  Michigan;  and  Le  Sueur  was  sent  to  La  Pointe  of 
Lake  Superior  to  mainSin  the  peace  th^  had  just  beeq, 
concluded  between  the  Ojibwayp  and  Dahkotahs. 

The  mission  of  Le,  SueUr  was  important.  As  the 
Foxes  and  Mascoutins  had  become  inimical,  the  north- 
ern route  to  the  Dahkotahs  was  the  only  one  that  could 
be  used  in  transporting  goods. 

In  the  year  1695,  the  second  pOst  in  Minnesota  was 
built  by  Le  Sueur:  Above  Lake  Pepin„and  below  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  there  are  many  islands,  and  the 
largest  of  these  was  selected  aa  the  site.'  The  object 
of  ihe  estabUshment  was  to  interpose  a  barrier  between 
the  Dahl^otahs  and  Qjibways,  and  maintain  the  peaceful 
relations  which  had  been  ci:eated.  Charlevoix  speaks 
of  the  island  as  havmg  a  very  beautiful  prairie,  and 
remarks  that  "the  French  of  Qanada  have  made  it  a 
centre  of  commerce  for  the  western  parts,  and  many 
pass  the  winter  here,  because  it  is  a  good  country  for 

hunting."         '  ^  '  .     ^     ^,^ 

On  the  fifteenth  of  July,  Le  Sueur  amved  at  Mon- 
treal with  a  party  of  Qjibways,  and  the  first  Dahkotah 
•Jmve  that  had  ever  visited  Canada. 
"'^Th^  Indians  were  much  impressed  with  the  power 
of  France  by  the  marching  of  a  detachment  of  seven 
hundred  picked  men,  under  ChevaUer  Cresafi,  who  were 
on  their  way  to  La  Chine. 

On  the  eighteenth,  Frontenac,  in  the  presence  of 
\  Callieres  and  other  persons  of  distinction,  gave  them  an 

audience. 

The  first  speaker  was  the  chief  of  the  Qjibway  band 
at  La  Pointe,  Shingowahbay,  who  said  :— 
'  '  Ballln  in  hii  dBBuiiptioii  of  lUo  Ohaft  of  North  AmorlQfti  - 


'V 


■*% 


'-18<E8P- 


Si 


OJIBWAY  AND  DAHKOTAH  CHIEFS'  SPEECH. 


149 


"  That  he  was  come  to  pay  his  respects  to  Onontio/ 

in  the  name  of  the  young  \N^arriors  of  Point  Chagoua 

*  migon,  and  to  thank  him  for  having  given  them  some 

Frenchmen  to  dwell  with  them ;  t6  testify  their  sorrow 

for  one  Jobin,  a  Frenchman,  who  was  killed  at  a  feast 

'accidentally,  and  not  maliciously.     We  come  to  ask  a 

Javoiir  of  you,  which  is  to  let  us  act.     We  are  allies  of 

IJke  Scidu.     Some  Outagamies  or  Mascoutins  have  been 

killed.     The  Sciou  came  to  mourn  with  us.     Let  us  act, 

Father ;  let  us  take  revetige. 

"  Le  Sueur  alone,  who  is  acquainted  with  the  lan- 
guage of  the  one  and  the  other,  can  serve  us.  We  ask 
that  he  return  with  us." 

Another  speaker  of  >the  Qjibwa^  was  Le  Brochet. 

Teeoskahtay,'  the  Dahkota-h'' chief,  before  he  spoke, 
spread  out  a  beaver  robe,  and  laying  another  with  a 
tobacco  pouch  and"  otter  skin,  beigau  to  weep  bitterly. 
Aftei;  drying  his  tears  he  said  : —  ■ 

"All  of  the  nations  had  a  father  who  afforded  them 
protection ;  all  of  them  have  iron.  But  he  was  a  bas- 
tard in  quest  of  a  father;  he  was  come  to  see  hun,  and 
begs  that  he  will  take  pity  on  him." 

He  then  placed  upon  the  beaver  robe  twenty-two 
arrows,  at  each  arrow  naming  a  Dahkotah  village  that 
desired  Frontenac's  protection.  Kesuming  his  speech, 
he  remarked : — 

« It  is  not  on  account  of  what  I  bring  that  I  hope  he 
who  rules  this  earth  will  have  pity  on  me.  I  learned 
from  the  Sauteurs  that  he  wanted  nothing ;  that  he  was 
the  Master  of  the  Iron ;  that  he  had  a  big  heart,  into 
which  he  could  receive  all  the  nations.    This  has 

>  The  title  the  Indians  always  gave  to  the  GoTereor. 


:-4l 


■0 


■^^* 


.     ( 


150 


tilSTOEY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


Tra 

4» 


induced  me  to  abandon  my  people  to  Icome  to  seek  his 
protection,  and  to  beseech  him  to  recei^  me  among  the 
number  of  his  children.  Take  courage,  Great  Captain, 
and  reject  me  not;  despise  me  not  though  I  appear  poor 
in  your  eyes.  -All  the  nations  here  present  know  that 
I  am  rich,  and  the  little  they  offer  here  is  taken  from 
my  lands." 

Count  Froiitenac  in  reply  told  the  chief  that  he  would 
receive  the  Dahkotahs  as  his  children,  on  conditio^  that 
they  would  be  obedient,  and  that  he  would  send  back 
Le  Sueur  with  him. 

'  »  Teeoskahtay,  taking  hold  of  the  governor's  knees, 
wept,  and  said : — "  Take  pity  on  us ;  we  are  well  aware 
that  we  are  not  able  to  speak,* being  children;  but  Le 
Sueur,  who  understands  our  language,  and  has  seen  all 
our  villages,  will  next  year  inform  you  what  will  have 
been  achieved  by  the  Sioux  nations,  rei^sented  by 
those  arrows  before  you." 

Having  finished,  a  Dahkotah  woimtn,  the  wife  of  a 
great  chief  whom  Le  Sueur  had  purchased  from  captivity 
at  JIackinaw,  approached  those'  in  authority,  and  with 
downcast  eyes  embraced  their  knees,  weeping  and  say- 

ing:— 

"  I  thank  thee.  Father ;  it  is  by  thy  m^ans  I  have 
been  liberated,  and  am  no  longer  captive." 

Then  TeSoskahtay  resumed  i- — 

"  I  speak  like  a  man  penetrated  with  joy.  The  Great 
Captain ;  he  who  is  the  Master  of  the  Iron,  assures  me 
of  his  protection,  and  I  promise  him  that  if  he  conde- 
scends to  restore  my  children,  now  prisoners  among  the 
Foxes,  Ottawas,  and  Hurons,  I  will  l^tum  hither,  and 
bring  with  me  the  twenty-two  villages  whom  he  has  just 
-restui'ed  to  life  by  promifliDg  to  send  thom  Iron." 


^m;%^ 


%^ 


DAHKOTAH  CHIEF  DIES  IN  CANADA. 


151 


V 


On  the  14th  dS  August,  two  weeks  after  the  Ojibway 
chief  left  for.  his  home  on  Lake  Superior,  Nicholas  Per- 
rot  arrived  with  a  deputation  of  Sauks,  Foxes,  Meno- 
monees,  Miamis  of  Maaramek,  and  Pottowattamies. 

Two  days  after,  they  had  a  council  with  the  ^governor,  . 
who  thus  spoke  to  a  Fox  brave : —  ^ 

"I  see  that  you  are  a  young  man;  your  nation  ha& 
quite  turned  away  from  my  wishes;  it  has  pillaged 
some  of  my  young  men,  whom  it  has  treated  as  slaves. 
I  know  that  your  father,  who  loved  the  French,  had  no 
hand  in  the  indignity.  You  only  imitate  the  example 
of  your  father,  who  had  sense,  when  you  do  not  co- 
operate with  those  of  your  tribe  who  are  wishing  to  go 
over  to  my  enemies,  after  they  grossly  hisulted  me,  and 
defeated  the  Sioux,  whom  I  now  consider  my  son.  I 
pity  the  Sioux;  I  pity  the  dead  whose  loss  I  deplore. 
Perrot  goes  up,  there,  and  he  will  speak  to  your  nation 
from  me,  for  the  release  of  their  prisoners;  let  them 

attend  to  hun."  •  . 

Teeoskahtay  never  returned  to  his  native  land. 
While  in  Montreal  he  was  taken  sick,  and  in  thirty- 
three  days  he  ceased  to  breathe;  and,  followed  by  white 
men,  his  body  was  ijaterred  in  the  white  man's  grave. 

Le  Sueur,  instead  of  going  back  to  Minnesota  that 
year,  as  was  expected,  went  to  France,  and  received 
a  license,  in  1697,  to  open  certain  mines  supposed 
to  exist  m  Mmn^sota.  The  ship  in  which  he  was 
returning,  was  c^tured  by  the  English,  and  he  was 
taken  to  England.  After  his  release,  he  went  hack  to 
France,  and,  in  1698,  obtained  a  new  commission  foi^. 


3tl|^ 


mmmg. 

While  Le  Sueur  was  in  Europe,  the  Dahkoi 
waged  war  against  the  Foxes  and  Miamis.    In  retaliar 


7 


7 


,:d&. 


J 


..'  ,*., 


152 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


tibn,  the  latter  raised  a  war  party,  and  eht^ed  the  land 
of  the  Dahkotahs.  Finding  their  foes  intrenched,  and 
assisted  by  "coureurs  des  bois,"  they  were  indignant; 
and  on  their  return  they  had  a  skirmish  with  some 
Frenchmen,  who  were  carrying  good^  to  the  Dahko- 
tahs, 

Shortly  after,  they  met  Perrot,  and  were  about  to 
-  bum  him  to  death,  when  prevented  by  some  friendly  , 
.  ^  Foxes.  The  Miamis,  after  this,  were  disposed  to  be 
friendly  to  the  Iroquois.  In  1696,  the  year  previous, 
the  authorities  at  Quebec  decided  that  it  was  expedient 
to  abandon  all  the  posts  west  of  Mackinaw,  and  with- 
draw the  French  from  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  i 

The  "  voyageurs"  were  not  disposed  to  leave  the 
country,  and  the  governor  wrote  to  Pontchartrain  for  ;. 
instructions,  in  October,  1698.      In  his  despatch  he 
remarks: —  ♦ 

"  In  this  conjuncture,  and  under  all  these  circum- 
stances, we  consider  it  our  duty  to  postpone,  until  new 
instructions  from  the  court,  the  execution  of  Sieur  Le 
II  Sueur's  enterprise  for  the- mines,  though  the  promise 

had  already  been  given  him  to  send  two  canoes  in 
advance  to  Missilimackinac,  for  the  purpose  of  pur- 
chasing there  some  provisions  and  other  necessaries  for 
his  voyage,  and  that  he  would  be  permitted  to  go  and 
join  them  early  in  the  spring  with  the  rest  of  his  hands. 
What  led  us  to  adopt  this  resolution  has  been,  that  the 
French  who  remained  to  trade  off  with  the  Five  N&. 
tions  the  remainder  of  their  merchandise,  might,  on 
seeing  entirely  new  comers  arriving  there,  consider 
themselves  entitled  to  dispense  with  coming  down,  and 
perhaps  adopt  the  resolution  to  settle  there;  whilst, 
rtfifting  Tin  arrival  there,  with  permiaaion  to  do  whaj  ifl 


/ 


*    fl^n'i^-ij'r' 


98*^ 


••'•r.-.    -^s^. 


LE  SUEUR'S  LICENSE  TO  MINE  BilVOKED. 


153 


>J» 


■r 


forbidden,  the  reflection  they  Will  be.  able  to  make 
during  the  winter,  and  the  apprehension  of  being  guilty 
of  criiJ^^  may  oblige  them  to  return  in  the  spring.     "^ 

"  This  would  be  very  desirable,  in  consequence  of  the 
great  difficulty  there  will  be  in  constraining  them  to  it," 
should  they  be  inclined  to  lift  the  mask  altogether  and 
become  buccaneers;  or  should  Sieur  Le  Sueur,  as  he 
easily  could  do,  furnish  them  with  goods  for  their 
beaver  and  smaller  peltry,  which  he  might  send  down, 
by  the  return  of  other  Frenchmen,  whose  sole  desire  is 
to  obey,  and  who  have  remained  only  because  of  the 
impossibility  of  getting  their  effects  down.  This  would 
rather  induce  those  who  would  continue  to  lead  a  vagar 
bond  life  to  remain  there,  as  the  goods  they  would 
obtain  from  Le  Sueur's  people  would  afford  them  the 
means  of  doing  so." 

In  reply  to  thi^  communication,  Louis  XIV.  answered 

th'at^ 

"His  majesty  has  approved  that  the  late  Sieur  de 
Front^ac  and  De  Champigny,  suspended  the  execution 
of  the  license  granted  to  the  man  named  Le  Sueur  to 
proceed,  with  fifty  men,  to  explore  some  mines  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi.  He  has  revoked  said  license, 
and  desires  that  the  said  Le  Sueur,  or  any  other  person, 
be  prevented  from  leaving  the  colony  on  pretence  of 
going  in  search  of  mines,  without  his  majesty's  express 
permission." 

L6^ueur,  undaunted  by  these  drawbacks  to  the  pro- 
secution of  a  favourite  project,  again  visited  France. 


^^ 

rv-  ■ 

-*. 

^K             J.f 

-<<i 

--w 

.    ' 

.- 

V^ 

H 

r 

B 

■^ 


fff^^'^  ■^jn^'^rt'sS^es^'^ll^'Hs  -^/m-^r  -^  J^  5"   ^■!S«l|!^|^r^^•  j|(^^§**''?i*3^™^'e-^'/^3^ 


,  f  ^  -^  t^Cf^r^:;^ 


154 


H^TOBY  OF  MINNBSOTA^ 


/ 


\ 


vX 


i\ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

''  Fortunately  for  Le  Sueur,  D'Iberville,  who  was  a 
friend,  and  closely  connected  by  marriage,  was  appointed 
governor  of  the  new  territory  of  Louisiana/ 

In  the  month  of  December  he  arrived  from  France, 
with  thirty  workmen^  to  proceed  to  the  supposed  mines 
in  Minnesota.  ,  ^ 

On  the  thirteenth  of  July,  1700,  with  a  felucca,  two 
canoes,  and  nineteen  men,  having  ascended  the  Missis- 
sippi, he  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and 
six  leagues  above  this  he  passed  the  Illinois.  He  there 
met  three  Canadians,  who  came  to  join  him,  with  a 
letter  from  Father  Marest,^  who  had  once  attempted  a 
mission  among  the  Dahkotahs,  dated  July  13,  Mission 
Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  in  Illinois, 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  write,  in  order  to  inform  you 
that  the  Saugiesta*  have  been  defeated  by  the  Scioux  and 
Ayavois  (lowas).  The  people  have  formed  an  alliance 
with  the  Quincapous  (Kickapoos),  some  of  the  Mecou- 
tins,  Benards  (Foxes),  and  Metesigamias,  and  gone  to 
revenge  themselves,  not  on  the  Scioux,  for  they  are  too 
inuch  afraid  of  them,  but  perhaps  on  iixe  Ayavois,  or 
very  likely  upon  the  Paoutees,  or  more  probably  upon 

^  Oharlevoix  says  that  he  was  the  filther  of  the  gOYernor,  perhaps  wife's 

^bul =__ 


^S»i-"lf>. 


\ 


LE  SUEUR  MEETS  A  WAR  PARTY. 


155 


the  Osages,  for  'these  suspect  nothing,  and  the  others 

are  on  their  guard.  • 

"  As  you  will  probably  meet  these  allied  nations,  you 
ought  to  take  precaution  against  their  plans,  and  not 
allow  them  to  board  your  vessel,  since  they  are  traitors, 
and  utterly  faithlm.  I  pray  God  t»  axjcompany  you  m 
all  your  designs." 

Twenty-tw(Kteagues  above  the  Illinois,  he  parsed  a 
small  stream  which  he  caUed  the  Biver  of  Oxen,  and 
nme  leagues  beyond  this  he  passed  a  small  river  on  the 
west^ide,  where  helmet  four  Canadians  descending  the 
Mississippi,  on  then:  way  to  the  Illinois.    On  the  30th 
of  ifuly,  nine  leagues  above  the  las1>-named  river,  he 
meii  seventeen  Scioux,  in  seven  canoes,  who  were  gomg 
to  revenge  the  death  of  three  Sci6ux,  one  of  whom  ha4 
been  burned,  and  the  others  killed,  at  Tamarois,  a  few 
days  before  his  arrival  in  that  village.    As  he  had  pro- 
mised the  chief  of  the  HUnois  to  appease  the  Scioux,  who 
.  should  go  to  war  against  his  nation,  he  made  a  present 
to  the  chief  of  the  party -to  engage  him  to  turn  back. 
He  told  them  the  King  of  Urance  did  not  wish  them  to 
make  this  rivet  more  bloody,  and  that  he  was  sent  to 
teU  them  that,  if  they  .obeyed  the  kind's  word,  they 
would  receive  m  future  afi  things  necessary  for.  them. 
The  chief  answered  that  he  accepted  the  present,  that 
.  is  to  say,  that  he  would  do  9s  had  been  told  hun. 

From  the  30th  ofc  July  to.  the  25th  of  August,  Le 
Sueur  advanced  fifty-three  and  one-fourth  leagues  to  a 
small  river  wUch  he  called  the  Kiver  of  the  Mine.*  At 
the  mouth  it  runs  from  the  north,  but  it  turns  to  the 
north-«ast.    On  the  right'seven  leagues,  there  is  a  lead 

>  ThlM  !■  the  tot  ■MililiUf^tlw  (Hlea>  mlnafc 


<  •i<.M'iAi.-iLiM^&^Asi'ili!&. 


> 


'••*" 


-^'"^^' 


.  a.yfV*.r 


156 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


mine  in  a  prairie,  one  atnd  a  half  leagues;  the  river  is 
'  only  navigable  in  high  water,  that  is  to  say,  from  early 

spring  till  the  month  of  June. 

From  the  25th  to  the  27th  he  made  ten  leagues, 
passed  two  small  rivers,  and  made  himself  acquainted 
with  a  mine  ot  lead,  from  which  he  took  a  supply. 
^  From  the  27th  to  the  30th  he  made  eleven  and  a  half 

leagues,  and  met  five  Canadians,  one  of  whom  had 
been  dangerously  wounded  in  the  head.  They  were 
naked,  and  had  no  ammunition  except  a  miserable  gun, 
with  five- or  six  loads,  of  powder  and  balls.  They  said 
they  were  descending  from  the  Scioux  to  go  to  Tama- 
rois ;  and^  when  seventy  leagues  above,  they  perceived 
^  nine  canoes  in  the  Mississippi,  in  which  were  ninety 
savages,  who  robbed  and  cruelly  beat  them.  This  party 
were  going  to  war  against  the  Scioux,  and  were  com- 
posed of  four  diflferent.  nations,  tl^  Outagamis  (Foxes), 
Saquis  ^Sauks),  Poutouwatamis  (Pottowattamies),  and 
Pauns  (Winnebagoes),  who  dwell  in  a  country  eighty 
leagues  east  of  the  Mississippi  from  where  Le  Sueur 
then  was. 

The  Canadians  determined  to  follow  the  detachment, 
which  was  composed  of  twenty-eight  men.  This  day 
they  made  seven  and  a  half  leagues.   On  the  1st  of  Sep- 

I  tember,  he  passed  tl^  Wisconsin  river;   It  runs  into  the 

Mississippi  from  the  north-ea«t.     It  is  nearly  one  and 

»  a  half  taJleB  wide.    At  about  seventy-five  leagues  up 

this  river,  on  the  right,  ascending,  there  is  a  portage  of 
more  than  a  league.  The  half  of  this  portage  is  shaking 
ground,  and  at  the  end  of  it  is  a  small  river  which 
descends  into  a  bay  called  Winnebago  Bay.  It  is  in- 
habited by  a  great  number  of  nations^ic^o  carry  their 
furs  to  Canada,  ^tfonsieur  Le  Sueur  came  by  the  Wis- 


;*.,\j?<ij-, 


.-.J, 


DAHKOTAHS  ROBBED  CANADIANS. 


157 


consin  river  to  the  Mississippi,  for  the  first  time,  in 
1683,  on  his  way  to  the  Scioux  country,  where  he  had 
already  passed  seven  years  at  different  periods.  The 
Mississippi,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  is  less 
than  a  half  mile  wide.  From  the  Ist  of  September  to 
the  5th,  our  voyageur  advanced  fourteen  leagues.  He 
passed  the  river  "Aux  Canots,"  which  comes,  from  the 
north-east,  and  then  the  Quincapous,  named  from  a 
nation  which  once  dwelt  upon  its  banks. 

From  the  5th  to  the  9th,  he  made  ten  and  a  half 
leagues,  and  passed  the  Rivers  Cachee  and  Aux  Ailes. 
The  same  day  he  perceived  canoes,  filled  with  savages, 
descending  the  river,  and  the  five  Canadians  recognised 
them  as  the  party  who  had  robbed  them.  They  placed 
sentinels  in  the  wood,  for  fear  of  being  surprised  by 
land;  and,  when  they  had  approached  within  heanng, 
they  cried  to  them  that  if; they  approached  farther 
they  would  fire.  They  then'  drew  up  by  an  island,  at 
half  the  distance  of  a  gun  shot.  Soon,  four  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  band  approached  in  a  canoe,  and 
asked  if  it  was  forgotten  that  they  were  our  brethren, 
and  with  what  design  we  had  taken  arms  when  we 

.  perceived  them.  Le  Sueur  replied  that  he  had  cause 
to  distrust  them,  since  the^  had  rob'lied  five  of  his 
party.  Nevertheless,  for  the  surety  of  his  trade,  being 
forced  to  be  at  peace  with  all  the  tribes,  he  demanded 
no  redress  for  the  robbery,  but  added  merely  that  the 
king,  their  master  and  his,  wished  that  hi^  subjects 

^(ould  navig^  that  riv^r  without  insult,  aii4^hat 

they  had  better  beware  how'they  axjted.  \^ 

The  Indian  who  had  spoken  was  silent,  but  another 

said  they  had  been  attacked  by  the  Scioux,  and  that  if 

f>»^y  did  not  have  pity  on  them,  and  give  them  a  little 


\ 


^ .  &'^  1.^14^11^ 


158 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


powder,  they  should  not  be  able  to  reach  their  village. 
The  conaideralion  of  a  inissionary,  who  was  to  go  up 
among  the  Scioux,  and  whom  these  savages  might  meet, 
induced  them  to  ^ve  two  pounds,  of  powder.  * 

M.  Le  Sueur  Made  the  same  day  three  leagues;  passed 
a  stream  on  the  weBt,  and  afterwards  another  river  on 
the  east,  which  is  navigable  at  all  limes,  and  which  the 
Indians  call  I^ed  river.  ^        > 

On  the  10th,  at  daybreak,  they  heard  an  elk  whistle, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river.     A  Canadian  crossed  in 
a  small  Scioux  canoe,  whidi  they  had  found,  a^d  shortly 
returned  with  the  body  of  the  animal,  which  was  very  ^ 
easily  killed,  "quand  il  est  en  rut,"  that  is  froi^a  the  be-  N' 
ginning  of  September  until  the  end  of  October.     The  „ 
hunters  at  this  time  make  a  whistle  of  a  piece  of  ^pvood, 
or  reed,  and  when  they  hear  an  elk  whistle,  they  answer 
it.'    The  animal,  believing  it  to  be  another  elk,  ^.ap-^     - 
.proaches,  and  is  killed  with  ease. 

From  the  10th  to  the  14th,  M.  Le  Sueur  made  Seven- 
teen  and  a  half  leagues,  passing  the  rivers  Raisin  and- 
Paquilenettes,  (perhaps  the  Wazi  0?u  and  Buffalo.) 
The  saxiie  day  he  left,  on*  Ihe  east  |ide  df  the  Missis- 
sippi, 4  beautiful  and  large  river,  which  descends  from 
the  Very  far  north,  and  called  Bbri  Secours  ^ChippeWay), 
oh  account  of  the  great  quantitji^f  buffalo,  elk,  bears, 
and  deurs,  which  are  fdund  there.  Three  leagues  up 
this  river^  there  is  a  ihine  of  lead,  and  seven  leagues 
'  above,  on  the  same  8ide,^they  found  another  long  river, 
in  the  vicinity  of  which  there  is  a  copper  mine,  from 
which  he  had  t^keh  a  lump  of  sixty  pounds,  in  a  former 
voyage..  In  order  to  make  these  mines  of  any  account, 
peace  must  be  obtained  between  tiie  Scioux  and  Outa- 
gamia  (Foxes),  becanaft  the  lattfiTy  who  dwell  on  the 


-%,. 


r 


LAKE  PEPIN.-- CANNON  BIVER. 


IIQ 


\ 


east  siSe  of  the  Mississippi^  pass  t^s  road  continually 
when  going  to  war  against  the  Scioux. 

In  this  region,  at  one  and  avhalf  leagues  on  the  north- . 
west  si^e,  commenced  a  lake,  which  is  si:^  leagues  long 
and  more  than  otffe  broad, ^called  Lak© "Pepin.     It  ia 
bounded  ok  the  \^st  by\a  cham  of  moiintaiiis ;  on  the' 
east  is  ^een  a  prairie;  am  on  the  north-west  of  the 
lake  there  is  another  prairie  two  leagues  long  and  ond 
wide.     In  the  neighbourhood  ia  a-chain  of  fountains 
quite  tw:o  hundred  feet  high,  and  more  than  one  and  a 
half  miles  long.    In  these  are  found  several  caves,  to 
which  the  bears  re^re  in  whiter.     Most  of  the  caverns 
are  mor*  than  seventy  feet  in  extent,  and  three  or  four 
feet  high.     There  are  several  of  which,  the  entrance  is 
very  narrow,  and  quite  closed  up  with  saltpetre.     It 
would  be^da^gerous  to  enter  them  in  summer,  for  they 
are  filled  with  rattlesnakes,  the  bite  of  which  is  very 
dangerous.     L^  Sueur  saw  some  of  tliese  snakes  which 
'  weBe  six  feet  in  length,  but  generally  they  are  about 
four  feet.     They  have  teeth  Resembling  thosq  of  the 
pike,  and  their  giftns  are  full  of  small  vessels  in  which 
their  poison  is  placed.     The  Scioux  say  thej  take  it 
every  morning,  and  ca^t  it  away  at  night.     They  have 
at  the  tail  a  kind  of  scale  which  makes  a  noise,  and  this 
•is  called  the  rattle.        '  •  «k 

Le  Sueur  made  on  .tliis  day  seven  and  a  half  leagues, 
and  passed  another  river  called  Hiambouxecate  Ouataba, 
or  the  River  of  Flat  Rock.* 

.  On  the  15th  he  crossed  a  small  river,  and  saw,  in 

the  neighbourhood,  several  canoes  filled  wi^h  Indians, 

.   descending  the  Mississip^^  He  supposied  they  were 


n 


,-^4_- 


♦ 


W,  ,: 


^'         V      .' 


^m 


?  . 


160 


HISTOBT  OF  MINNESOTA. 


■i 


Scioux,  because  he  could  not  distinguish  ^mi 
canoes  were  large  or  small.  The  ajnnstfweft  i 
readiness,  and  soon  they  heard  the  cjMHP  *^®  savages, 
which  they  are  accustomed  to  raise  -wbBn  they  rush 
upon  their  enemies.  He  caused  them  to  be  answered 
in  the  same  manner;  and,  after  having  placed  all  the 
men  behind  the  trees,, he  ordered  them  not  to  fire  until 
they  were  commanded.  **  He  remained  on  shore  ^  see 

,.  what  movement  the  savages  would  make,  and  perceiving 
that  t^y  placed  two  on  shore,  on  the  other  sidej*  where 
froTEmiL  eminence  they  could  ascertain  the  strength  of 
his  forces,  he  caused  the  men  to  pass  and  repass  from 
the'  shore  to  the  wood,  in  order  to  make  th^m  believe 
that  they  were  numerous.  This  ruse  succeeded,  for  as 
soon  as.  the  two  descended  from  the  eminence,  the  chief 
of  the  party  came,  bearing^the  calumet,  which  is  a  signal 
of  peace  among  the  Indian^. 

They  said,  that ,  ne^  having  seen  the  JFrench  navi- 
gate ^e  river  with  ^HHIS^  ^^^  -1^1^^^^  ihey  had 
supposed  them  to  bep^pfll^|pnd  forn^at  reason  they 
had  raised  the  war  cry,  and  arranged  themselves  on  the 
other  side'  of  the  Mississippi ;  but,  having  recognised 
their  flag,  they  had  come  without  fear  to  inform  them, 

[  that  one  of  their  number,  who  was  crazy,  had  acci- 
dentally killed  a  Frenchman,  and  that  they  would  go 
and  bring  his  comrade,  who  would  tell  how  the  mischief 
had  happened.  '  • 

The  Frenchman  they  brought  was  Denjs,  a  Canadian, 
an^  he  reported  that  his  companion  was  accidentally 
killed.    His  name  was  Laplace,  a  deserting  soldier  from 

Cai^ada,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  this  country.  *  .  " 

I-    ' 

^  Ttte  felucca  is  a  small  vessel    had  never  before  been  seen  on  the- 
propelled  both  by  oarR  tynd  waihirand. ,  Hatei».dLtho  IJp|^  — 


A,    *  ..J.  ',  f,^,-. 


». 


.\ 


><• 


•' 

^p^ 


ST.  CROIX  DROWNED.— RIVER  ST.  PIERRE. 


161 


Le  Stieur  replied,  that  Onontio  (the  name  they%ive 
to  all  the  governors  of  Canada),  being  their  ftiier  and 
hi^  they  ought  not  to  seek;  justification  dsew%re  than 
before  him ;  and  he  advised  ttiem  to  go  an(i  see  him  m 
/soon  as  possible,  and  beg- him  to  T^^ipe  off  the  blo®d  dt 
this  Frenchman  from  thidr'^faces. 

The  party  was  composed  of  forty-seven  menl 
ferent  nations,  wha^w^  far*.to  the  east,  abou^xne 
forty-fourth  ^eg*^  of  latitude.     Le  Sueur,  disco v^pg  : 
who  the  chiefs  we:pe|  said  the  king  whom  they  WA 
spoken  of  in  Canada,  had  sent  him  to  take  possession  , 
of  the  north  of  the  river;    and  that  he  wished  tiie 
nations  who  dwell  on  it,  as.  well  as  those  under  his  |mb- 
tection,  to  live  in  peace.  %' 

He  made  this  day  three  and  three-fourth  leagues^ 
and,  on  the  16th  of  September,  he  left  a  large  river  oh 
the  east  sidg,  named  St.  GrooE,  became  a  Frenchman  of 
that  name  was  shipwrecked  at 'Sb  mouth.  It  comes  from 
tl\p  notth-north-west.  Four  leagues  higher,  in  going 
jxg,  is  found- a  small  lake,  at  the  Inouth  of  wMch  iS  a 
very  large  mass  of  copper.  It  is  on  the  edge^  of  the 
^  water,  in  a  small  ridge  of  sandy  earth,  on  the  west  of 
this  lake.  J  .         ' 

From  the  16th  to  the  l^th,  he  advanced  thirteen  and 
three-fourth  leagues.  After  having  made  from  Tamarois 
two  hundnjttland  nine  an&  a  half  leagues,  he  left  the 
navigation  ^  the  Mississippi,  to  enter  the  river  St. 

L,  Pierre,*  on  the  west  side.     By  the  1st  of  October,  he 

o'*      ■  .  -       ■    '         '-  ^ 

*  ThalSaint  Pierre,  like  the  Saint    an(^  prominent  in  the  Indian  affairs 

*  .Croix,  just  below  it,  was  evidently    in  thit  age.    Carver,  in  1776,  on 

^  named  after  a  Frenchman. '  Chq^rle-    the  shores  of  Lake  Pepin,  discovered 

voix  "speaks  of  an  officer  by  that  'the  ruinsr  of  an  .extensive  trading 

name,  who  was  atlMaokinaw  in  1692,    post,  that  bad  been  under  the  control 


«<*^ 


^ 


,rf-  ti| 


^ 


<- 


■  51 


'f-'1. 


>n"'-''  "     .   ^  •  ■     ,r  ■ 


162 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


had  made  in  this  river  forty-four  and  one-fourth  leagues. 
After  he  entered  into  Blue  river,  thus  named  on  account 
of  the  mines  of  blue  earth  found  at  its  mouth,  he  founded 
his  post,  situated  in  forty-fonr  degrees,  thirteen  minutes, 
north  latitude.  He  met  at  this  plaoe  nine  Scioux,^  who 
told  him  that  the  river  belonged  to  the  Scioux  of  the 
West,  the  Ayavois  (lowas),  and  Otoctatas  (Ottoes),  who 
lived  a  httle  farther  off;  liat'it  was  not  their  custom  to 
hunt. on  ground  belonging  to  others,  unless  invited  to 
do  so  by  the  owners,  and  that  when  they  would  come 
to  the  fort  to  obtain  provisions,  they  would  be  in  danger 
of  being  killed  in  ascending  or  descending  the  rivers, 
which  were  narrow,  and  that  if  they  would  show  thei^J; 
'  pity.  Tie  must  establish  himself  on  the  Mississippi,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Pierre,*  where  the  Ayavois,  the  Otocta- 
tas, and  the  other  Scioux,  cotfld  go  as  well  as  they. 

Havmg  finished  theii'^flpeech,  they  leaned  over  the 
head  of  Le  Sueur,  according  to  their  custom,. crying  out, 
"  Ouaechissou  ouaepanimanabo,"  that  is  to  say,  "  Have 
pity  upon  us."  Le  Sueur  had  j^reseen  that  th«  esta- 
bUshment  of  Blue  Earth  river,  would  not  please  the 
Scioux  of  the  Eaat,  who  were,  so  to  speak,  masters  of  the 
other  Sci(MXf9ixA  of  the  nations  which  will  be  hereafter 
mentioned,,  because  they  were  the  first  with  whom  trade 
was  commenced,  and  in  consequence  of  which  they  had 
already  quite  a  number  of  guns. 

As  he  had  commenced  his  opera,tions,  not  only 
with  ft  view  to  the  trade  of  beaver,  but  also  to  gain  a 

of  a  Captain  Saint  Pierre,  and  there    Lahontan,  Le  Sueur,  and  the  Jesuit* 
ia  scarcely  a  doubt  that  Le  Sueur    of  that  period  in  their  relations,  and 
.  named  the  Minnesota  river  in  honour    it  has  not  been  altered  to  Dahkotith 
of  his  fellow  explorer  and  trader.         in  this  chapter. 

>pby  -gf » Neighboatbood  of  Mwtdoia. 


■.«,1 


DAHKOTAHS  OF  THE  PLAINS. 


163 


knowledge  of  the  mines,  which  he  had  previously  dis- 
covered, he  told  them  he  was  sorry  that  he  had  not 
known  their  intentions  sooner;  and  that  it  was  just,, 
since  he  came  expressly  for  them,  that  he  shoul^  estar 
blish  himself  on  their  land,  but  that  the  season  was  too 
far  advanced  for  him  to  return.  He  then  made  them  a 
present  of  powder,  balls,  and  knives,  and  an  armful  pf 
tobacco,  to  entice  them  to  assemble  as  soon  as  possible, 
near  the  fort  which  he  was  about  to  construct,  that 
when  they  should  be  all  assembled  he  might  tell  them 
the  intention  of  the  king,  their  and  his  sovereign. 

The  Scioux  of  the  West,  according  to  the  statement 

of  the  Eastern   Scioux,  have  more  than  a  thousand 

lodges.     They  do  not  use  canoes,  nor  cultivate,  the 

earth,  nor  gather  wild  rice.     They  remain  generally  in 

the  prairies,  which  are  between  tte  Upper  Mississippi 

and  Missouri  rivers,  and  live  entirely  by  the  chase. 

The  Scioux  generally  say  they  have  three  souls,  and 

that  after  deat^  that  which  has  done  well  goes  to  the 

warm  country,  that  which  has  done  evil  to  the  cold 

regions,  and  the  other  guards  the  body.     Polygamy  is 

common   among  them.    JChey  are  very  jealous,  and 

sometimes  fight  m  duel  for  their  wives.     They  manage 

the  bow  admirably,  and  have  been  seen  sereral  times  to 

kill  ducks  on  the  wing.     They  make  their  lodges  of  a 

number  of  buffalo  skins  mterlaeed  and  sev^ed,  and  carry 

them  wherever  they  go.     They  are  all  great  smokers, 

but  their  manner  of  smoking  differs  from  that  of  other 

Indians.     There  are  some  Scioux  who  swallow  all  the 

pmoke  of  the  tobacco,  and  others  who,  after  having  kept 

it  some  time  in  their  mouth,  cause  it  to  issue  from  the 

nose.    In  each  lodge  there  are  usually  two  or  thi^ee 

mt>n  with  their  families. ^ ',     - 


E  * 


J 


^■f^" 


",Y  -^1-^ 


\'  x-^ 


164 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


On  the  third  of  October,  they  received  at  the  fort 
veral  Scioux,  among  whom  was  Wahkantape,  chief 
of  the  village.  Soon  two  Canadians  arrived  who  had 
beeri  hunting,  and*  had  been  robbed  by  the  Scioux  of 
the  East,  who  had  raised  their  guns  against  the  estar 
blishment  which  M.  Le  Sueur  had  made  on  Blue  Earth 

river.  --^^ 

On  the  fourteenth  the  fort  was-^ifflped  and  named 
Fort  L'Hviillier,'  and  on.  the  twei^^S)nd  two  Cana- 
dians were  sent  out  to  invite  the  Ayavais  and  Otoctatas 
to  come  and  establish  a  village  near  the  fort,  because 
these  Indians  are  industrious  and  accustomed,  to  culti- 
vate the  earth,  and  they  hoped  to  get  provisions  from 
them,  and  to  make  them  work  in  the  mines. 

On  the  twenty-fourth,  six  Scioux  Oujalespoitons 
wished  to  go  into  the  fort,  but  were  told  that  they  did 
not  receive  men  who  had  killed  Frenchmen.  This  is 
the  term  used  when  they  have  insulted  them.  The 
next  day  they  came  to  the  lodge  of  Li  Sueur  to  beg 
him  to  have  pity  on  them.  They  wished,  according  to 
custom,  to  weep  over  his  head  and  make  him  a  present 
of  packs  of  beavers,  which  he  refused.  He  told  them 
he  was  surprised  that  people  who  had  robbed  should 
come  to  him ;  to  which  they  replied  that  they  had  heard 
it  said  that  two  Frenchmen  had  been  robbed,  but  none 
from  their  village  had  been  present  at  that  wicked 
action. 

Le  Sueur  answered,  that'  he  knew  it  was  the  Men- 
deoucantons  and  not  the  Oujalespoitons;  "but,"  con- 
tmued  he,  "  you  are  Scioux ;  it  is  the  Scioux  who  have 
robbed  me,  and  if  I  were  to  follow  your  manner  ol 

*  The  farmer  general  at  Paris  who  had  encouraged  Le  Sueur  in  his  pro- 
Jwtt. 


LE  SUEUR  FILLS  CANOES  WITH  BLUE  EARTH. 


165 


acting,  I  should  break  your  heads ;  for  is  it  not  true, 
that  when  a  stranger  (it  is  thus  they  call  the  Indians 
who  are  not  Scioux)  has  insulted  a  Scioux,  Mendeou- 
canton,  Oujllespoitons,  or  others — all  the  villages  re- 
venge upon  the  first  one  they  meet  ?" 

As  they  had  nothing  to  answer  to  what  he  said  to 
them,  they  wept  and  repeated,  according  to  custom, 
"  Ouaechissou !  ouaepanimanabo !"  Le  Sueur  told  them 
to  cease  crying,  and  added,  that  the  French  had  good 
hearts,  and  tlaat  they  had  come  into  the  country  to  have 
pity  on  them.  At  the  same  time  he  made  them  a  pre- 
sent, saying  to  them,  "Carry  hack  your  beavers  and 
say  to  all  the  Scioux,  that  they  will  have  from  me  no 
more  powder  or '^  lead,  and  they  will  no  longer  smoke 
any  long  pipe  u^til  they  h^ve  made  satisfaction  for  rob- 
bing the  Frenchman."     / 

The  same  day  the  Cahadians,  who  had  been  sent  off 
on  the  22d,  arrived  mthout  having  found  the  road 
which  led  to  the  Ayavois  and^Otoctatas.  On  the  25th 
Le  Sueur  went  to  tke  river  wilh  three  canoes,  which 
he  filled  with  gree^  and  blue  earth.'  It  is  taken  from 
the  hills  near  which  are  very  abundant  mines  of  copper, 
some  of  which  >^as  worked  at  Paris  in  1696  by  L'Huil- 
lier,  one  of  the^  chief  collectors  of  the  king.  Stones  were 
also  found  tl^re,  which  would  be  curious,  if  worked. 

On  the  &th  of  November,  eight  Mantanton  Scioi 
arrived,  w^o  had  been  sent  by  their  chiefs  to  say  tMat 
the  Mendeoucantona  were  still  at  their  lake  on  the  east  of 
*he  Mississippi,  and  they  could  not  come  for  a  long^une ; 
and  that,  for  a  single  village  which  had  no  good^sense, 


>  The  locality  was  a  branch  of  the 
Blue  Earth,  about  a  mile  above  the 


river,  and  on  a  map 
1773,  the  river  St.  Rec 


iblisbed  in 


/ 


furt,  BalUd    by  Nicollet  lift-Suour 


I 


:mtL 


/■ 


/. 


^gg  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

the  Others  ought  not  to  bear  the  punishment ;  and  ^hat  ^ 
ty  were  wiling  to  make  reparation  if  they  knew  how. 
Le  sleur  replied  that  he  was  glad  that  they  had  a  dis- 

^Sf  th^trthe  two  Mantanton  Scioux,  who^had 
heen  sent  expressly  to  say  that  all  of  the  Scioux  of  the 
east  and  part  of  those  of  the  west,  were  joined  together 
o  c;me  1  the  French,  because  they  had  heard  that  the 
Christianaux  and  the  'Assinipoils  were  niakmg  war  on 
them  These  two  nations  dwell  above  the  fort  on  the . 
east  side,  more  than  eighty  leagues  on  the  Upper  Mis- 

"' Assinipoils  speak  Scioux,  and  are  certai^^y^ 
that  nation.    It  is  only  a  few  years  «i«f  f  ^J^,*^%^^ 
came  enemies.    The  enmity  thus  origmated :  The  Chris- 
tianaux, havmg  the  use  of  arms  befoij.  the  Scioux, 
through  the  EngHsh  at  Hudson's  Bay,  they  constantly 
wafred  upon  the  Assinipoils,  who  were  their  nearest 
neighbours.     The  latter,  being,  weak,  sued  for^peace, 
and  to  render  it  more  lasting,  married  the  Chnstianaux 
women     The  other  ScipUx,  who  had  not  made  the  com- 
pact, continued  the  war ;  and,  seeing  some  Chnstiwiaux 
with  the  Assinipoils,  broke  their  heads.     The  Chns- 
tianaux  furnished  the  Assinipoils  with  arms  and  mer- 
chandise. ,.,..11         ^^A 
•      On  the  16th  the  Scioux  returned  to  their  village,  and 
it  was  reported  that  the  Ayavois  and  Otoctatas  were 
gone  to  establish  themselves  towards  the  Missouri  river, 
near  the  Maha,  who  dwell  inthat  region.    On  the  26th 
the  Mantantons  and  Ou^alespoitons  arrived  at  the  fort ; 
and,  after  they  had  encamped  in  the  woods,  Wahk^- 
tape^  came  to  beg  Le  Sueur  to  go  to  his  lodge.     He 


Wakandapi  or  E»t<*me4  Sacred,  was  the  nime  of  one  of  the  he«l  meo 
at  Red  Wing,  in  1860. 


»  *. 


■^^^^^4U> 


WEEP  OVER  THE  DEATH  OF  TEEOSKAHTAY. 


167 


J  fort; 

LhkaD' 

-    . 

'•*He 

- 

e>»ct  mes 

t' 

— ._ 

-  1    *     ♦* 

-.%;'^ 

there  foun<^  sixteen  men  with  women  and  children, 
with  their  ^es  daubed  with  black.  In  the  middle  of 
the  lodge  wer^,  several  buffalo  skins,  which  were  sewed 
for  a  carpet.  After  motioning  him  to  sit  down,  they 
wept  for  the  fourth  of  an  hour,  and  the  chief  gave  him 
some  wild  rice i to  e)at  (as  was  their  custom),  putting  the 
first  three  spoonsful  to  his  mouth.  After  which,  he  said 
all  present  were  relatives  of  Tioscat^,^  whom  Le  Sueur 
took  to  Canada  in  169S,  and  who  died  there  in  1696. 

At  the  mention  of  Tio^scat^  they  began  to  weep  again, 
and  wipe  their  tears  and  heads  upon  the  shoulders  of 
Le  Sueur.    Then  Wahkantape  again  spoke,  and  said  that 
Tioscat^  begged  him  to  forget  the  insult  done  to  the 
Frenchmen  by  the  Mendeoucantons,  and  take  pity  on 
his  brethren  by  giving  them  powder  and  balls  whereby 
they  could  defend  themselves,  and  gain  "a  living  for  the^ 
wives  and  children,  who  languish  in  a  country,  full  of 
game,  because  they  had  not  the  means  of  killing  them. 
"Look,"  added  the  chief,  "Behold  thy  children, /thy 
brethren,  and  thy  sisters ;  it  is  to  thee  to  see  whether 
thou  wishest  them  to  die.     They  ^vill  live  if  thougivest 
them  powder  and  ball;  they  will  die  if  thou  refitisest." 
'     TjC   Sueur  granted  them  th^ir  rtkjuest,  \mi/  as  the 
Scioux  never  answer  on  the  ^pot,  especially  iii  matters 
of  importance,  and  as  he  1^  to  ^peak  to  tjiem  about 
his  establishment,  he  went  out  o/f/the  lo^ge  without 
saying  a,  word.     The  chief  and  all  mose  wit^m  followed 
him  as  far  as  the  door  of  the  fbit ;  and  when  "he-  had 
gone  in,  they  jwent  around  it  three  times,  crying  with 
all    their  strength,   "AtheoualUin!*'  that  is  to   say, 
"  Father,  hav^  pity  on  us."     j(^te  unyanpi,  means  Our 
,^ather.)  ^ 


/•* 


I 


-7- 


ma 


\ 


N 


168 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


The  next  day,  he  assembled  in  the  Jbrt  the  prindipal 
men  of  both  villages ;  and  as  it  is  not  possible  to  subi|ue 
the  Scioux  or  to  Hinder  them  from  going  to  war,  unless 
it  be  by  inducing  them  to  ciritivate  the  earth,  he  said;  ip  * 
them  that  if  they  wished  to  render  themselves  worthj\^ 
of  the  protection  Of  the  king,  they  mus|  abandon  their 
erring  life,  and  form  a  village  near  his  dwelling,  where 
they  would  be  shielded- from  the  insults  of  their  ene- 
mies; and  that  they, might  be  happy  and  not  hungry, 
he  would  give  them  all  the  com  necessary  to  plant  a 
large  piece  of  ground ;  that  the  king,  their  and  his  chief, 
in  sending  him,  had  forbidden  him  to  purchase  beaver 
skins,  knpwing  that  this  kind  of  h'lmting  separates  them 
and  exposes  them  to  their  enemies ;  and  that  in  conse- 
quence of  this  he  had  come  to  establish  himself  on  Blue 
river  and  Vicinity,  where  they  had  many  times  assured 
him  were  many  kinds  of  beasts,  for  the  skins  of  which 
he  would  give  them   all  things  necessary;   that  they 
ought  to  reflect  that  they  could  not  do  without  French 
goods,  and  that  the  only  >^ay  not  fo  Want  them  was,  not 
to  go  to  war  with  onr  ajlied  nations.  \ 

As  it  is  customary  with  the  Indians  to  accompany 
their  word  with  a  present  proportioned  to  the  afl^r 
treated  of,  he  gave  them  fifty  pounds  of\  powder,  as  many 
balls-,  six  guns,  ten  axes,  twelve  armsfiil  of  tobacco',  and 
a  hatchet  pipe.  1 

On  the  first  of  December,  the  Mantai^tons  invited  Le 
Sueur  to  a  great  feast. '  Of  four  of  their  lodges  they 
had  made  one,  in  which  were  one  hundred  men  seated 
around,  and  every  one  his  dish  before  ^m.  After  the 
meal,  Wahkantape,  the  chief,  made  thetn  all  smoke  one 
after  another  in  the  hatchet  pipe  which  had  been  given 
them.     He  then  made  a  present  to  Le  Sueur  of  a  slave 


#jU^ii£uW>jui£«b&«M 


J&t. 


\ 


\  M'DEWAKANTONW AN' CHIEFS  AT  BLUE  EARTH  f  ORT.  •   169 

and  ai\sack  of  wild  rice,  tod  said  td  him,  showing  him 
his  men :   "  Behold  the  -remains  of  this  great  village, 
which  thou  hast  aforetimes  seen^  so  numerous !  all  the 
others  have  been  killed  in  war ;  and  the  few  men  whoni 
thou  seest  in  this  lodge,  accept  the  present  thou  hast 
made  theiji,  and  are  resolved  to  obey  the  great  chief  of  • 
all  nations^  of  whom  thou  hast  spoken  to  us.  .  Thou 
oughtest  not  to  regard  iis  as  Scioux,  but  »as  French,  and 
instead  of  saying  the  Scioux  are  miserable,  and  have  no 
mind,  and  are  fit  for  nothing  but  to  rob  and  steal  from' 
the  French,  thou  shalt  say  my  brethren  are  miserable 
and  have  nb  mind)  and  we  must  try  Uf  procure  some  for 
them.     They  rob  us,  but  I  will  take  care  that  they  do 
not  lack  iron,  that  is  to  say,  all  kinds  of  goods.     If 
thou  dost  this,  I  assure  thee  that  in  a  little  time,  the 
Mantantons  will  become  Frenchmen,  and  thfey  will  ha^ 
none  of  those  vices  with  ^diich  thou  reproaxjhest  us."     . 
Having  finished- his  spe^,  he  covered  his  face  with 
his  garment,  and  the  others  imitat(M  him*     They  wept 
over  their  companions  who  had  died  in  war,  and  chanted 
anjidieu  to  their  country  in  a  tone  so  gloomy,  that  9ne 
could  not  keep  from  partaking  of  their  sorrow. 

Wahkaiitape  then  made  .them  smoke  again,  and  dis- 
tributed  the  presents,  and  said  that  he  was  going  to  the 
Mendeoucantons,  to  inform  them  of  the  resolution,  and 
invite  them  to  do  the  same.     • 

-On  the  twelfth,  three  Mendeoucanton  chiefs  and  a 
large  number  of  Indians  of  the  same  village,  arrived  tit 
the  fort,  and  the  next  day  gave  satisfiujtion  for  robbing 
the  Frenchmen.  They  br6ught  400  pou^d^  of  beaver 
skins,  and  promised  that  the  summer  following,  after 
their  canoes  were  built  and  they  had  gathered  their  wild 
rice,  that  they  would  come  and  establish  themselves 


4 


9 


■S^AV'"' 


••1?^ 


170 


HISTOET  OF  MINNESOTA. 


near  the  French.     The  same  day  they  returned  to  their 
village  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

NAMES  OF  THE  BANDS  OF  SCIOUX  OF  THE  EAST,  WITH  THEIR 

SIGNIFICATION. 

Mantantons— That  is  to  say,  Village  of  the  Great 
Lake  which  empties  into  a  small  one. 

MendeoucIntons — Village  of  Spirit  Lake.       ,^ 

QuioPETONS — ^ViQage  of  the  Lake  with  one  RivB 

PsiouMANiTONSr— Village  of  Wild  Rice  Gatherers. 

Ouadebatons. — The  Eiver  Village. 

OuATEMANETONS.— Village  of  the  Tribe  who  dwell  on 
the  Point  of  the  Lake. 

SoNGASQUiTONS — The  Brave  Village.     .  . 

THE  SCIOUX  OF  THE  WEST. 

ToucHOUASiNTONS— The  Village  of  the  Pole. 
PsiNCHATONS— Village  of  the  Bed  Wild  I^ce. 
OujALESPOiTONS — Village  ^vid^d  into  many  small 

Bands.  ^  '  .       ,   , 

PsiNOUTANHHiNTONS— The  Great  Wild  Rice  Village. 
TiNTANGAOUGHiATONS— The  Grand  Lodge  Village. 
OuAPEtONS — ^Village  of  the  Leaf.  ■ 

OuGHETGEODATONS— Dung  Village. 
OuAPETONTETONS — Village  of  those  who  Shoot' in  the 

LatTge  Pine.  , 

H1NHANETON&— Village  of  the  Red  Stone  Quarry. 
The  above  catalogue  of  villages  concludes  the  extract 

that  La  Harpe  has  made  from  Ij»  Sueur's  Journal.^ 

■^  The  "  History  of  Louisiana,  by  nal,  and  deposited  among  the  ar- 

La  Harpe,"  who  was  a  French  offi-  chives  of  the  American  Philosophi- 

cer,  remained  in  manuscript  more  cal  Society,  from,  which  a  few  ex- 

than  one  hundred  years.    In  1805,  tracts  were  published  by  Professor 

ft  copy  Jtaa  taken Jtoatho  n^igi-  Keating,  in  his  narrative  of  Major. 


y 


?■ 


D'IBERVILLE'S  MANUSCRIPT. 


171 


In  the  narrative  of  Major  Long's  second  expedition, 
there  are  just  the  same  number  of  villages  of  the  Gens 
du  Lac  or  M'dewakantonwan  Scioux  mentioned,  though 
the  names  are  different.  After  leaving  the  Mille  La« 
region,  the  divisions  evidently  were  different,  and  the  ^ 
villages  known  by  new  names. 

Charlevoix,  who  visited  the  valley  of  the  Lower  Mis- 
sissippi in  1722,  says  that  Le  Sueur  spent  a  winter  in  his 
fort  on  the  bauks  of  the  Blue  Earth ;  and  that  in  the 
following  April  he  went  up  to  the  mine  about  a  mile 
above.  In  twenty-two  days  they  obtained  more  than 
thirty  thousand  pounds  of  the  substance,  four  thousand  ^ 
^  of  which  were  selected  and  sent,  to  France. 

On.  the  tenth  of  February,  1702,  Le  Sueur  came  back 
to  the  post  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  found  D'lberviUe 
absent,  who,  however,  arrived  on  the  eighteenth  of  the 
next  month,  with  a  ship  from  France,  loaded  with  sup- 
pHes  After  a  few  weeks,  the  Governor  of  Lomsiana 
sailed  again'ibr  the  old  country,  Le  Sueur  being  a  M\^ 

passenger  •  i 

On  board  of  the  ship,  D'lberviUe  wrote  a  memorial 
upon  the  Mississippi  Valley,  with  suggestions  for  carry- 
ing on  commerce  therein,  which  contams  many  facts 
furnished  by  Le  Sueur.  A  copy  of  the  manuscript  is 
in  possession  of  the  Historical  Society  pf  Minnesota, 
from  which  are  th6  following  extraxits :— • 

« If  the  Sioux  remain  in  their  own  country  they  are 

,  useless  to  us,  being  too  distant.    We  could  have  no 

commerce  with  them  except  that  of  the  beaver.    M. 

Long's  expedition.  In  the  year  1831.  tion  of  that  part  which.  pertain«  to   / 

the  original  wa«  published  at  Paris,  Minnesota,  appeared  m  a  St  Paul 

,       for  the  first  time,  in  the  French  newspaper  m  1850. 
lanffuftRe.    The  €r8t  English  translar 


■^ 


172 


HISTORY  OF  MINN;ES0TA« 


Le  Sueur,  w7io  goes  to  France  to  give  an  axicount  of  this 
country,  is  the  proper  person  to  mak^  these  movements. 
He  estimates  the  Sioux  at  four  thousand  families,  who 
could  settle  upon  the  Missoupi:^^- 

"He  has  spoken  to  me  of  aai^^her  which  he  calls  the 
Mahas,  composed  of  more  than,  twelve  hundred  families, 
the  Ayooues  (loways)  and  the  Qctoctatas  their  neigh- 
bours, are  about  three  hundred  families.  They  occupy 
the  lands  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri,, 
about  one  tundred^  leagues  from  the  Illinois^  These 
savages  do  not  kiiifelir  the  use,l?f^arms,  and  a  descent 
might  be  made  upon  them  in  a  river,  which-is  beyond 
the  Wabash  on  the  west.    ********** 

"The  Assinibouel,  Quenistinop,  and  people  of  the 
North,  who  are  upon  the  rivers,, which  fall  into  the 
Mississippi,  and  trade  at  Fort  Nelson  (Hudson  B^), 
are  about  four  hundred  men.  We  could  prevent  them 
from  going  there  if  we  wish." 

"  In  four  or  five  years  we  can  establish  a  commerce 
with  these  savages  of  sixty  or  eighty  thousand  buflfalo 
skins;  more  than  one  hundred  deer  skins,  which  will 
produce,  delivered  in  France,  more  than  two  million 
four  hundred  thousand  livres  yearly.  One  might  obtain 
for  a  buffalo  skin  four  or  five  pounds  of' wool,  which 
sells  for  twenty  sous,  two  pound  of  coarse  hair  at  ten 
sous.      •  , 

".Besides,  from  smaller  peltries,  two  hundred  thou- 
sand livres  can  be  made  yearly." 

In  "the.  third  volume  of  the  "  Histoyy,  and  Statistics 
of  the  Indian  Tribes,"  prepared  under  tlle/tJirection  of 
the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  by  Mr."9choolcraiit, 
a  manuscript,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  possession  6f  General 
rinj^H^  ia  referred  to  as  containing  the  first  enumeration 


\    \ 


d : 


EARLIEST  CENSUS  OF  INDIANS  ^F  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY.  173 

of  the  Indians  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.    The  following 
was  made  thirty-four  years  earlier : —  V 


'The  Sioux,       .    Families,    4,000. 

Mahas .12,000 

Octata  and  Ayoues,  ...    .       300 
Canses,  (Kansas),     .    .    .    1,500 

Missouri, 1,500 

Arkansas,  &c 200 

Manton,  (Mandan).  .     .    .       100 
Panis,  (Pawnee)  .  ,  .    .    •    2,000 
Illinois,  of  the  great  -irillage 
andCamaroua  (Tamaroa) 
Meosigamea,  (Metchigamias) 
Kikapous  arid  Masooutens, 
Miamis, 


800 
200 
450 
500 


Chicachas,  .     .    .     .     .    .  2,000 

•Mobilien?  and  Chohomes,  ..  350 

Concaques,  (Conchas)    .    .  2,000 

Onma,  (Houmas)      .    .    .  150 

Celapissa, 250 

Bayogoula,  X ^^ 

,Peoj)leoftheFork,   ...  200 

Counujrt,  4;c.,'  (Tonicas)      .  300 

Caensa,  (Taensa)      ...  150 

Nadeches,    ......  ^^SOft. 

Belochy,  (Biloxi)  Pascotoula.    100 


Dotal, 


23,850 


Chactas,      ...*...    4,000  .    .  -, 

« The  savage  tribes  located  in   the  places  J  have     . 
marked  out,  make  it  necessary,  to  establish  three  posts 
on  the  Mississippi.     One. at  the"  Arkansas,  another  at 
the  Wabash  (Ohio),  and  the  third  at  the. Missouri;,  At 
each  post  it  would  be  proper  to  haVe  aii  officer  with  a 
detachment  of  ten  soldiers,  with  a  sergeaiit  and  corporal.,  :^ 
All  Frenchmen  should  be  allowed  to  settle  there  with 
their  families,  and  trade  with  the  Indians,  atid-lfeey . 
might  establish  tanneries   for  properly   dres^iilg.  the 
buffalo  and  deer  skins  for  transportation.  ; .    '  .- 

«  No  Frenchman  shall  he  allowed  to  follow  the  Indians;:, 
on  their  htmta,  as  it  tends  to  keep  them  hunters,  as  is  seen 
in  Canada,  and  when  they  are  in  the  woods  they  do 
not  desire  to  become  tillers  of  the.  seil  *    *    *    * 

« I  have  said  nothmg  in  this  memoir  of  which  I  have 
not  personal  knowledge  or.  the  most  reHable  sources. 
The  most  of  what  I  propose  i«  founded  upon  personal 
reflection,  in  relation  to  what  might  be  done  for  the 
defence  and  advancement  of  the  colony.     *     * 


•'  / 


•». 


'\ 


« 


:6 
■J 


m 


^   « 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA.. 


It  will  be" absolutely  necessary  that  the  king 
should  definp  the  limits  of  this  country,  in  relation  to 
the  government  of  Canada.  *  It  is  important  that  the 
commandant  of  the  Mississippi  should  have -a  repiort  of 
those  who  inhabit  the  rivers  that  fall  into  the  Mississippi/ 
and  principally  those  of  the  river  Illinois. 

"  The  Canadians  intimate  to  the  savages  that  they 
ought  not  to  listen  to  us,  but  to  the  governor  of  Canada, 
who  always  speaks  to  th^m  with  large  presents ;  that 
the  governor ,  of  the  Mississippi  is  mean,  and  nevfer 
sends  them  anything.  This  is  true,  and  what  I  cannpt 
do.  It  is  imprudent  to  accustom' the  savages  ta  he 
spoken  to  by  presents,  for,  with  so  many,  ife-w^ould  cost 
the  king  more  than  the  revefiue  derived  from  the  trade. 
When  they  come  to  us,  it  will  be  necessary  to  bring 
them  in  subjection,  "make  them  no  presents,  and  cornel 
t^em  to  do  what  we  wish,  as  ^  they  were  Frenchmen. 

"  The  Spaniards  have  divided  the  Indians  into  parties 
on  tMs  point,  and  we  can  do  the  same.  When  one 
nation  does '  wrong,  we  can  cease  to  trade  with  them, 
and  threaten  to  draw  down  the  hostility  of  other 
.  Indians.  We  rectify  the  difficulty  by  having  mission- 
aries, who  will  bring  them  into  obedience  secretly, 

"The  Illinois  and  Mascoutejis  have  detained  the 
French  canoes  they  find  upon  the  Mississippi,  laying 
that  the  governors  of  Canada  have  given  them  pennis- 
,  eion.  I  do  not  know  whether  this  is  so,  but,  if  true,  it 
follows  that  we  have  not  the  liberty  to  send  any  one 
on  the  Mississippi. 

"  M.  Le  Sueur  would  h6-ve  been  taken  if  he  had  not 
been  the  strongest.  Only  one  of  the  canoes  he  sent  to 
the  Sioux  was  plundered."    ****** 

On  the  third  of  March,  1 708j  the  workmen  left  at 


^j^kt-t 


RETURN  OF  WORKMEN  FROM  MAHKAHTO. 


175 


Mahkahto  returned  to  Mobile,  having  left  Minnesota 
on  account  of  the  hostiUty  of  the  Indians,  and  the  want 
of  means.    . 

Le  Sufeur,  on  his  return  from  France,  does  not  appear 
to  have  visited  Minnesota.  His  name  appears  in  the 
history  of  Louisiana  as  a  leader  of  expeditions  against 
the  Natchez  and  other  southern  tribes.  It  is  said  that 
he  died  on  the  road  while  passing  through  the  colony 
of  Louisiana.* 

1  La  Horpe.  *  , 


\^ 


m 


i 


^^^•..',^i4^>v,     \sX   j|^^^   V/''«fc'J'*'«  ■" 


176 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

At  the  commencenient  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
Dahkotahs  were  still  dwelling  at  the  Spirit  Lake,  east 
ofc  the  Mississippi;  but  influences  were  beginning  to 
operate,  which  eventuaUy  led  to  dislodgment  from  their 
ancient  stronghold. 

When  the  French  traders  first,  visited  Green  Bay, 
they  found  the  Sauks  a  fierce  and  haughty  people, 
wandering  about  the  country  between  the  head  waters 
of  the  Fox  and  Chippewa^y  rivers.  Below  them,  and 
above  the  Illinois,  resided  the  Fox  or  Outagami  nation,^ 
with  whom  they  were  closely  allied  by  intermarriage. 
The  French,  from  the  first,  seemed  to  be  unsuccessful 
in  obtaining  their  good-will,  the  early  voyageurs  having 
behaved  themselves  afi  bandits  rather  than  civilized  men. 

In  the  year  1700  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  were  defeated 
m  a  contest  with  the  Dahkotahs  and  loways;   and 

»  The  OjibTrays  assert  that  Uie  statement.    "The  Foxes  are  eighteen^ 

Foxes,  before  their  inoorpomtlon  with  leagues  from  the  Sacs,  they  number 

the  Sauks,   spoke  a  different  Ian-  five  hundred  men,  abound  in  women 

guage,  and  they  called  them  "0-dug-  and  children,  are  as  industrious  as 

aum-eeg,'»  or  people  of  the  opposite  they  can  be,  and  have  a  different 

_   IjJ^j  language  from  the  Ottawas.     An 

A  French  memoir  on  the  Indians  Ottawa  inta^reter  would  be  of  no 

between  Lake  Erie  and  Mississippi,  use  with  the  Foxes."    Ptois  Doc. 

pr^^pf>i-4    in   \718,    oonflrmjj^thiB  TJi.  in  K.  Y.  0.  H.  toL  i». 


■  # 


*- 


'-JiidL^^ 


■^s 


■•\ 


'  ■  -      ATTACK  OF  FOXES  ON  DETROIT.  177 

f 

shortly  after  this  they  began  to  .manifest  open  hostility 
against  the  French.     Under  the  direction  of  the  noted  ,^ 

Avarriors  Lamina  and  Pemoussa,  they  marched  to  the 
post  at  Detroit,  which  was  the  key  to  the  commerce  of 
the  upper  lakes,  with,  the  intention  of  exterminating 
the  small  garrison  of  thirty  men,  and  delivering  the 
post  to  the  English,  who,  from  the  year  1687,  had  been 
looking  wistfully  towards  the  beautiful  peninsula  which 
now  comprises  the  commonwealth  of  Michigan. 

For  days  they  prowled  around  the  rude  stockade, 
watching  every  opportunity  for  insult  and  murder. 

To  prevent  the  burning  of  the  post,  Du  Buisson,  the 
commander,  ordered  the  chapel,  storehouse,  and  other 
outbuildings  to  be  destroyed.  , 

After  a  few  days  De  Vincennes  and  eight  Frenchmen 
arrived,  biit  brought  no  news  that  was  cheering ;  and 
the  commander,  in  his  despatch  to  the  governor  of 
Canada,  admits  his  alarm,  and  writes,  "  I  did  not  know 
on  what  saint  to  call."  '  , 

The  hour  now  came  for  decided  action.  The  gates' 
of  the  little  fort  were  closed ;  the  garrison  divided  into 
four  companies ;  annfl  and  ammunition  duly  inspected ; 
two  swivels,  mounted  oh  logs,  loaded  with  slugs;  all 
were  waiting^  with  anxious  impatience,  for  the  attack 
to  commence,  when  the  commander,  ascejiding  the 
baation,  descried  a  friendly  force  of  Osages,  Missouris, 
Illinois,  and  other  allies,  issuing  from  the  forest. ,  The 
gates  being  thrown  open,  they  were  warmly  greeted. 

A  moment's  silence,  a  terrific  war-whoop,  that  made 
the  yery  earth  tremble,  and  the  battle  began  in  earnest, 
and  murderous  missiles  flew  like  hail-stones.  To  pro- 
tect themselves  from  the  fire  of  the  fort,  the  Sauks  and  | 
Foxes  dug  holes  in  the  ground,  but  they  were  soon  I 
la                                                                                   — ^ 


M. 


vf?f 


J73  ■  ^TOW  OP  jalNNESOTA. 

besiesed.  After  being  surrounded  fear,  nineto  days, 
thy  Succeeded  in  making  tbeir  escape,  on  a  dark  and 
rainv  night,  after  the  attactong  party  were  asleep.  The 
7Ze^  ^as  not  made  till  mornmg,  when  they  were 
found  at  Presque  Isle,  near  Lake  St.  Claar.  The  fight 
2  here  renewed,  and  the  Foxes  were  thoroughly  de- 
feated,  losing  about  one  thousand  men,  women,  and 

"  Maddened  by  their  want  of  sufccess,  they  came  bax:k 
with  the  portion  of  the  Sauks-who  were  their  allies  to 
their  residence  in  Wisconsin,  and  '^^^"g^'l,* ff  J^'! 
•  by  scalping  every  French  trader  they  could  find,  and 
waging  wi  on  the  Ojibways  and  other  tribes  who  had 

aided  the  French.       ,  #  .      . 

Travel  to  Louiriana  by  way  of  the  Wisconsm  nver 
was  entirely  cutoff;  and  in  1714  the  governor  of  Ca, 
nada  determined  to_  subdue  or  exterminate  thgm.     A 
force  of  eight  hundred  men  marched  to  their  villages, 
and  the  Foxes,  under  the  pressure  of  necessity,  formed 
rLndly  alUance  with  their  old  foes,  the  Dahkotahs 
»   of  Minnesota.    The  invading  army  found  the  foe,  to 
■    the  nmnber  of  five  hundred  men  and  three  Aousand 
■  women,  strongly  intrenched.    De  U>uvipiy,  the  com- 
manded, phmted  his  field  pieces  and  a  rienade  morter, 
and  bega^  the  attack;  but  the  Foxes  s^n  c»I«tulated, 
and  six  hostage,  were  given  by  them  as/secunty  for  &e 
presence  of  their  deputies  at  Montreal,  to  ^rfect   he 
Ss  of  the  treaty.   While  at  Montrell,  Pe*'^'' ^« 
great  warrior,  and  otiien.  of  the  hostw^es,  died  of  small- 

^Fearing  that  tfiis  caUmiity  lirightiefea^ 

f«0to  were  obHmeki.         , 


PREDICTION  IN  RELATION/  TO  ENGLISH  MASTERY.         11^ 


r))iioh  the 


ments  for  the  final  trea^ty/  De  Louvigny  was  sent /to 
Mackinaw  with  one  of  the/hostages,  %ho  had  recovered 
from  the  small-pox  with  the  loss  of  one  eye.  Arriving 
in  May,  1717,  he  despatched  the  one-eyed  chief  with 
suitable  presents  to"  cover  the  dead.  The  Fox  chiefs 
promised  to  coihply  with  the  provisions  of  the  original 
capitulation,  and  the  pock-marked  warrior  departed-  for 
Mackinaw,  with  the  interpreter,  but  he  soon  eloped, 
and  in  a  little  while  the  truce-breaking  Foxes  were 
again  shedding  blood.  The^^ot  only  harassed  the 
French,  but  leagued  with  the  Chickasaws  of  the  south, 
as  well  as  the  fierce  Dahkotahs  of  the  north. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  French  government  had 
discountenanced  traders  dwelling  with  the  Indians  west 
of  Macl^aw,  and  the  old  license  system  was  abolished. 
But,  in  1726,  it  was  observed  that  the  English  were 
obtaining  such  an  influence  over  the  distant  nations, 
that,  to  counteract  it,  the  licensing  of  traders  to  dwell 
among  the  upper  tribes  was  renewed. 

A  despateh  on  this  point,  made  a  prediction,  which 
has  been  fully  verified : — 

"  From  all  that  precedes,  it  is  more  and  more  obvious, 
that  the  English  are  endeavouring  to  interlope  among 
all  the  Indian  nations,  and  to  attach  them  to  them- 
selves. They  entertain  constantly  the  idea  of  becoming 
maatera  of  North  America,  persuaded  that  the  European 
nation  which  will  be  possessor  *y)f  that  section,  will,  in 
course  of  time,  he  also  master  or  all  America,  because.it 
is  there  alone  that  men  live  in  hrnlth,  and  produce  strong 
and  robust  children"  I  I 

To  thwart  them  it  waa  proposed  to  reatoie  the  twenty- 
five  licenses  for  trading,  which  had  be^  spppressed,  by 
which  seventy-five  "  coureura  des  bois^^would  proceed 


;*4i;t 


^ 


180 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


annually  to  the  upper  tribes,  and  be  absent  -  eighteen " 
montfis ;  also,  to  aboUsh  the  prohibitory  Uquor  law,  which  • 
had  been  enacted  through  the  influence  of  the  mikion- 
aries.     The.  argument  in  favour  of  this  measure  was  in 
these  words  It—  .   .       ^  •       '      , 

"'Tis  true,  that  the  Indians  are  crazy  when  drunk, 
and  when  they  have  once  tasted  brandy,  th«t  they  give 
all  they  possess  to  obtain  some  more,  -and  drink  it  to ' 

excess.     '    -  -      '  v     -    ■  ^    ^  ^ 

"  Missionaries  will  complain  that  this  perinission  de- . 
stroys  the  Indians  and  the. religion  among  them.    But, ' 

,  apart  from  the  fact  that  they  will  always  have  rum 
from  the  English,  the  question  is,,  whether  it  be  better 
that  the  English  penetrate. into  the  contment  by  favour 
of  that  rum,  jvhich  attracts  the  Indians  to  them,  th%n  to 
suffer  the  French  to  furnish  them  with  liquor  m  order 
to  preserve  these  nations,  and  to  prevent  them  declaring 
eventually  in  favour  of  the  English."* 

In  view  of  the  troubles  among  the  tribes  of  the  north-' 
west,  in  the^  month  of  September,  X718,  Captain  St. 
Pierre,  who  had  great  influence  with  the  Indians  of 
Wisconsin  and  Muinesota,  was  sen^  with  Ensign  Linqtot 
and  some  soldiers  to  re-occupy  La  Pomte,  on  Lake  Supe- 
rior, now  Bayfield,-^  the  north-western  point  of  Wis- 
consin. The  chiefs  of  the  band  there  and  at  Keweenaw, 
had  threatened  war  against  the  Foxes,  who  had  killed 
some  of  their  number. 

On  the  seventh  of  June,  ^726,  peace  was  concluded 
by  De  Lignery  with  the  Sauks,  Foxes,  and  Winnebal* 

•   goes,  at  Green  Bay;  and,  Linctot, >«rho  had  succeed^ 
Saint  Pierre  in  command  at  La  Pointe,  was  ordered,  ,^ 


.'  JIT  ilVfVU  UMmj  -t-^w^^*^"» 


'    /-' 


'^ 


1  - 


•  »     , 


.     M    ■    ■  2i^h<>:  ■ 


. '  '»?'' 


1  - 


■  y. 


;f.      f 


-'■  I     '■•  ^. 


linctI)!'  at  la  pointe. 


181 


presents  and' the  prom^si  of  a  missionary,  to  endeavour 
to  detach  the  Dahkotilf's  froift/their  alUance  with  the 

'o3^es.  4*  tK^s  tiiiie  Linctol/ made  arrapgements  for 
peace  between  the  OJibwaryrs/and  Dahkotahs,  and  sent 
two  Frenchmen  to  dwell  isl  the  villages  of  the  latter, 
with  a  promise  that,  if  they  ceased  to  fight  the  Ojib- 
ways,  th^y  should  haveVregular  trade, and  a  "black 
robe"  reside^  in.  their  country.  \- 

The  Qjibways,  after /the  treaty,  came  down  to  Mon- 
treal, and  were  thus  addressed  by  Longeuil,'  the  gover- 
nor : — 

.  "  I  am  ;|fejoiced,  n/y  children  of  the  Sauteurs,  at  the 
peace  which  Monsieur  De  Linctot  has  procured  far  you 
with  the/ Sioux,  your  neighbours,  and  also  on  account 
of  the  prisoners  you  have  restored  to  them.  I  desire 
him,  in  the  letter  which  I  now  give  you,  my  son  Cabina, 
for  hiin/y  that  he  maintain  this  peace,  and  support ,  the - 
happy  reunion  which  now  appears  to,  exist  between 
the  Sjou3^  and  you.'  I  hope  he  will  succeed  in  it,  if  you 
are  attentive  to  his  words,  and  if  you  follow  the  lights 
whic^  he  will  show  you. 

y  heart  is  sad  on  account  of  the  blows  which  the 
Fo^^s  of  "Green  Bay  have  given  you,  of  which  you  have 
jus^i  spoken,  an4i>f  which  the  commandant  has  written 
in  liis  letter.  It  appeaifs  to  me  that  Heaven  has  revenged 
you  for  your  losses,  since  it  has  given  you  the  flesh  of  a 
y^bug  Fox  to  eat.    You,  have  done  well  to  listen  to  the 

ords  of  your  commandaat  to  keep  quiet,  and  respect 

e  words  of  your  Father. 
It  would  not  have  been  j^ood  to  embroil  the  whole 
land  in  prder  to  revenge  a  l]ilow  struck  by  people  with- 

I  The  Baron  Loifgeail;  WM  Oharlm  Le  Moyne,  a  native  of  Canada.    H« 


^ 


'^ 


•♦■ 


\ 


JifJ  ih  1729. 


( 


HISTORY  of;  MINNESOTA.  . 


X 


182'       « 

out  sense  or  reason,  wto  have'no  authority  in  their  own 

"^^  "Tinvijte  you  by  this  tobacco,  my  children,  to"  remain  ' 
in  tranquillity  in  your  lodges,  awaiting  the  news  of  what 

shall  be  decUed  in  the  council  at  \he  bay  (Green  Bay), 
by  the  commandant  of  Mackinaw.       :^  ' 

"There  is  coming  fr6m  France  a  new  Father,  who  will 
notfail  to  inform  you,  a^  soon  as 'he  shall  be  able  to  take 
measures  and  stop  the  bad  affair  which  the  Foxes  wish 

to  cause  in  future.  -   .  ,»  ,e     •  x       + 

«  And  to  conyince  you,  my  children,  of  the  .interest 
I  take  in  your  loss,  heffe  are' two  blankets  two>irts, 
and  two  pairs  of  leggings,  to  coyer  the  bodies  of  those 
.of  your  children  who  haye  been  killed,  and  to  stop  the 
blood  which  hafl  been  spilled  upon 'your  mats.  I  add  to 
this  four  shirts  to  staunch  the  wounds  of  those  who 
haye  been  hurt  iil  this  miserable  afl&ay,  with  a  pa^ka^ 
of  tobacco  to  comfort  the  minds  of  your  young  men,  a^^  . 
also  to  cause  them  to  think  hereafter  of  good  things,  and 
wholly  to  forget  bad  ones.  .  „ 

"This  is  what  I  exhort  you  all,  my  children,  while 
.  waiting  for  news  from  your  new  Father,  and  also  to  be 
always  attfentiye  to  the  word^.  of  the  French  command- 
'  ant,  who  now  smokes  his  pipe  in  security  among  you 

The  Foxes  again  proyed  faithless,  haymg  received 
belts  from  the  English,  and  determined  to  attax^K  the 
French  The  authorities  at  Quebec  now  determined  to 
sehd  a  reguW  army  into  their  country.  Their  prepara- 
tions  were  kept  secret;  for,  says  Beauhamois,  they 
Already  had  an  assurance  of  a  passage  into  the  country 
of  the  Sioux  of  the  Prairies,  their  allies,  in  such  a  man- 
ner.  that  if  they  ha4  known  of  our  design  of  making 
wa^,  it  would  have  b^n  easy  to  have  mthdiawn  m 


-^' 


■f%ia 


FREaCII  re  established  at  lake  PEPIN. 


■18a 


that  direction,  before  we  could  block  up  the  way  and 
attack  them  in  tHeir  towns."  •• 

To  Eem  in  the  Fox  nation  as  much  as  possible,  Fort 
Perrot,  (jr  *a  site  a  few  miles  ubove,  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Pepin,  was  re-occupied..^  Shortly  after  the  arrival 
of  the  French,  the  Indians  move^  off,  and  joined  the 
Dahkotahs  of  the  Plains,  in  a  war  with  the  Omahaws. 

Th.e  governor  of  Canada  felt  that  the  occupancy  of 
this  post  was  of  vital  importance.  In  a  despatch  to  the 
Fre^ich  government  he  eloquently  urges  his  views : '  * 

"  The  interests  of  religion,  of  the  service,  and  of  the 
colony  «,re  involved  in  the  maintenance  of  this  estabUsh- 
ment,  which  has  been  the  more  necessary  as  there  is  n6 
doubt  but  the  Foxes,  when  routed,  would  have  found  an. 
^ylum  among  the  St}io\ix,-had  not  the  French  been  set- 
tled there,  and  the  docility  and  submission  manifested 
by  the  Foxes  cannot  be  attributed  to  any  cause  except 
the  attention  entertained  by-  the  §cioux  for  tHe  French, 
and  the  offers  which  the^  former  made  the  latter,  of 
which  the  Foxes  were  fully  cognisant. 

"  It  is  necessary  to  retain  the  Scioux  in  these  favour- , 
able  dispositiotw,  ii|^^  order  to  keep  the  Foxes  in  check. 


»"  The  fort  the  French'builtamong-^  Col.  D.  vol.  ix.,  p.  1016.    The  fort 
the  Scioux  on  the  bordeJf  of  Lake    seems  to  be  higher  up  than  Parrot's, 
Pepin,  appears  to  be  badfy  situated    and  was  built  by  Laperriere.    Pike 
x.-i.^!.-   _-^L  .       -r.  .  .,       in  his  journal  appears  to  hare  this 


.on  acoount'of  the  freshets.  But  the 
Indians  assure  that  the  waters  rose 
higiher  in  1727  than  it  ever  did  before ; 
and  ibis  is  cjredLbfe,  inasmuch  as  it 
did  not  reach  the  fort  this  year.  *  * 
*  *.  *  As  the  waters  might  possibly 
rislr  as  hrgd  as  1727,  this  fort  could 
be  removed  four  or  five  arpents  from 


fort  iA  view,  when  he  says:  "Just 
below  the  (jJoint  of  sand)  Pt.  de 
Sable,  the  French,  under  Frontenao, 
who  had  driven  the  Renards  from 
tl)e  Wisconsin,  and  chased  them  up 
the  Mississippi  river,  built  a  stockade 
on  this  lak^  (PepinJ,  as  a  barrier 


the  shore  without  prejudice  to  the    against  the  savages    It  became  & 
views  entertained  in  buildings  it  on    noted  factory  fpr  the  Sioux." 
ita  praaent  site.    Paria  Dob.  JS.  Y. 


T-'-p" 


i(  ^ 


184 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


-i^ 


and  counteract  the  measures  they  might  adopt  to  gauj. 
over  the  Scioux,  who  will  invariably  reject  their  prOpo^"  - 
sitions  so  long  as  the  French  remain  ib  the  country,  and 
their  trading  post  shall  continue  there.     But,  despite  all 
these  advantages  and  the  importance  of  preserving  that 
establishment,   M.   de .  Beauharnois  cannot  take   aijy 
steps  until  he  has, news  of  the  French  who  ^sked  his  , 
permission  this  summer  to  go  up  there  with  a  canoe 
load  of  goods,  and  until  assured  that  those  who  wintered 
there  have  not  dismantled  Mie  fort,  and  that  the  Scioux 
continue  in  the  sam«  sentiments.     Besides,  it  does  not 
seem  very  easy  in  the^preseiitcopjuncture,  to  maintain 
that  post,  unless  there  be  a  soUl^ea^e  with  the  Foxes ; 
on, the  other  hand,  the  greatest  portion  of  the  traders, 
who  applied  in  1727  for  the  establishment  of  that  post, 
have  .withdrawn,  and  will  not  send  thither  any  mere,  as 
the  rupture  with  the  t'oxes,  through  whose -country  it 
is  necessary  to  pass  in  order  to  reach  the  Scio\ix  in 
canoe,  has  led  them  to  abp,i)doiN;he  idea.     But  the  one 
and  the  other  case  might  be  remedied.     The  Foxes  will, 
in  all  probability,  come  or  send  next  year  to  sue  for 
peace ;  therefore,  if  it  be  granted  to  them  on  advanta- 
geous  conditions,  there  need  be  no , apprehension  when 
gomg  to  the  Scioux, 'and  another  company  could  be 
formed,  less  numerous  thtm  "the  first,  through  whom, -or 
some  responsible  merphants  able  to  aflford  the  outfits,  a 
new  treaty  could  be  maide  wliereby  these  difficulties 
would  be  soon  obviated.    One  only  trouble  remains,  and 
that  is,  to  send  a  commanding  and  sub-officer,  and  some 
soldiers  up  there,  which  are  absolutely  necessary  for  th^ 
maintenance  of  goed  order  at  that  post;  the  missionp 
aries  would  not  go  there  without  a  commandant.    This 

arvioo,  and  the  expenwe  of 


vl 


:.r 


m 


DE  LIOKERY'S  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THE  FOXES.         185 

which  must  be  on  his  majesty's  account,,  obliges  them  to 
apply  for  orders.  They  will,  as  far  as  Ues  in  then- 
power,  indiuce  the  traders  to  meet  that  expense,  which 
will  possibly- amount  to  1000  livres  or  1500  livres  a  year 
fai-  the  commandant,  and  in  proportion  for  the  .officer 
under  him ;  but,  as  in  the  beginning  of  an  establisliiient 
the;  expenses  exceed  the  profit^,  it  is  improbable  tha,^ 
any  company  of  merchants  will  assume  the  outlay,  and 
in  this  case  they  d^paand  orders  on  this  point,  as  well  as 
his  majesty's  opinion  asrto  the  necessity  of  preservings 
so  useful  a  post,  and  a  nation  which  has  already  ftffordei' 
proofs  of  its  fidelity  aiid  attachment.  "'V- 

"  These,  orders  could  be  sent  them  by  way  of  fi© 
Royale,  or  by  the  first  merchantmen  that  will  sail  for 
Qu^bdt.  The  time  required  to  receiye  intelligence  of 
th4  occurrences  in  the .  Scioux  country,  will  admit  of 
tlietr  waiting  for  these  carders  before  doing  anything." 

the  fifth  of  June,  1728,  an  army  of  four  hundred 
Frenchmen  and  eight  or  nine  hundred  savages',  em- 
barked at  Montreal,  on  an  expedition  to  destroy  the^ 
Fox  nation  and  their  allies,  the  Sauks.     De  Lignery^ 
was  the  head  of  the  expedition — a  man  like  Braddoci^ 
at  Fort  Duqu,esne,  who  moved  his  army  with  precision 
and  pomp,  as  if  the  savages  were  accustomed  to  fight  in 
platoons,  and  observe  the  laws  of  war,  recognised  by  all 
civilized  nations. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  August,  in  the  dead  of  night, 
the  army  arrived  at  the  post  at  the  mouth  of  Fox  river. 
Before  dawn  the  French  crossed  over  to  the  Sauk  .vil- 
lage, but  all  had  escaped  with  the  exception  of  four. 
Ascending  the  stream  on  th^  twenty-fdiirth,  they  came 

*  Taught  by  experience,  he  afterwards  became  an  able  officer  in  the 
French  -war.  ■ 


\» 


."*■,. 


*■„-, 


^H>  • 


r 


_ 

It 


::^i-. 


J 

.4. 


\ 


.£Ki^tiidfi£^..^%;kli^ 


i'^^  ■ 


186 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


to  a  Winnebago  village  which  was  also  deserted.  Pass- 
ing over  the  Little  Fox  Lake,  on  the  twenty-fifth,  they 
entered  a  small  river  leading  to  marshy  ground,  on  the 
borders  of  which  there  was  a  large  Fox  village.  Here 
again  was  another  disappoiiitment,  for  the  swift-footed 
savages  had  gone  many  miles  on  their  trail  long  before 
the  army  came  in  sight. 

Orders  were  then  given  to  advance  nipon  the  last 
stronghold  of  the  enemy,  near  the  portage  of  the  Wis- 
consin, and  on  their  arrival  they  found  all  as  still  as 
the  desert.  On  the  return  of  the  army  from  this  fruit- 
less  expedition,  the  Lidian  villages  ok  the  line  of  march 
were  devastated,  and  the  fort  at  Greene  Bay  abandoned. 
The  Foxes,  having  abandoned  everything,  retired  to  the 
country  of  the  loways  and  Dahkotahs,  and  probably  at 
this  time  they  pitched  their  tents  and  hunted  in  the 
valley  of  the  Sauk  river  in  Minnesota. 

During  the  year  of  this  badly  managed  expedition. 
Father  Guignas  visited  the  Dahkotahs,  and  would  have 
remained  there  if  Jhere  had  not  been  hostiUty  between 
the  Foxes  and  French.  While  travelling  to  the  Illinois, 
country  he  fell<mto  the  hands  of  tliQ  Kickapoos  and 
Mascoutens,  allies  of  the  Foxes,  in  the  month  of  October. 
He  was  saved  t^om  being  burned  to  death  by  an  aged 
man  adopting  him  as  a  son.  For  fit^e  months  he  was 
in  captivity.  In  the  year  1736,  while  St.  Pierre  was 
the  commander  at  Lake  Pepin,  Father  Guignas  was 
also  there,  and  thought  that  the  Dahkotahs  were  very 
friendly. 

About  the  period  of  the  revival  of  the  post  on  Lake 
Pepin,  an  establishment  Wiae  built  on  Lake  Ouinipigon, 
west  of  Lal|||Buperior. 


s'mw 


VERANDERIE'S  TOUR  TOWARDS  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  187 

^  \^eranderie,  a  French  ojaicer,  was,  at  this  early  date, 
coiiiniissioned  to  open  a  northern  route  to  the  Pacific. 

Proceeding  westward  from  the  Grand  Portage  of  Lake 
Superior,  he  followed  the  chain  of  lakes  which  form  the 
boundary  line  of  Minnesota  and  British  America,  to 
Lake  Winnipeg.  Ascending  the-Assiniboine,  he  struck 
out  on  the  plains,  and  for  several  days  journeyed 
towards  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Kalm,  the  Swedish 
traveller,  who  saw  him  in  Canada,  says  that  'he  found 
on  the  prairies  of  Ruperf  s  Land,  pillars  of  stone. 

At  one  place,  nine  hundred  leagues  from  Montreal, 
he  discovered  a  stone  with  characters  inscribed,  which 
th^  learned  at  Paris,  where  it  was  sent,  supposed  were 
Tartarean ;  but  probably  il  was  a  pictograph  set  ujp  by 
some  passing  war  or  hunting  party.^ 


*  Stone  heaps  are  seen  on  the  prai- 
ries of  Minnesota.  Having  written 
to  a  gentleman  some  years  ago,  to  in- 
quire of  the  Dahkotah8-"^>That  mean 
ye  by  these  stones  ?"  I  received  an 
interesting  reply : — 

Dean  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  third 
instant,  relating  to  the  stone  heaps 
near  Red  Wing,  vras  duly  received. 

I  am  happy  to  comply  with  your 
request,  hoping  that  it  may  lead  to 
an  accurate  survey  of  these  mounds. 

In  1848 1  first  heard  of  stone  heaps 
on  the  hill-tops,  back  of  Red  Wing. 
feut  business,  and  the  natural  suspi- 
cion of  the  Indian,, 'prevented  me 
fwMa*  exploring.  The  treaty  of  Men- 
i^ta  emboldened  me  to  visit  the 
f  hills,  and  try  to  find  the  stone  heaps. 
Accordingly,  late  last  autumn,  I 
■  started  on  foot  and  alone  from  Red 
Wing,  following  the  path  marked  P. 
~mi  thi>  fflftp,^wnrtctr  iiierwwithinaw" 


mit.  I  left  the  path  after  crossing 
the  second  stream,  and  turning  to 
the  left,  I  ascended  the  first  hill  that 
I  reached.  This  is  about  a  mile 
distant  from  the  path  that  leads  from 
Fort  Snelling  to  Lake  Pepin.  Here, 
on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  which  was 
about  two  hundred  feet  high,  was  a 
heap  of  stones.  It  is  about  twelve 
feet  in  diameter  and  six  in  height. 
The  perfect  confusion  of  the  stones 
and  yet  the  entireness  of  the  heap, 
and  the  denuded  rocks  all  around, 
convinced  me  that  the  heap  had  been 
formed  from  stones  lying  around, 
picked  up  by  the  hand  of  man. 
•  But  why  and  when  it  had  been 
done,,  were  questions  not  so  easily 
decided.  For  solving  these  I  re- 
solved to  seek  internal  evidence. 
Prompted  by  the  spirit  of  a  first 
explorer,  I  soon  ascended  the  heap ; 
aiid  the  eeldness  of  tf>e  dajT  and  the 


188 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


'  t 


He  established  some  six  commercial  posts  on  the  line 
of  his  route,  some  of  which  are  in  existence  to  this  day, 
and  bear  the  same  names. 

His  journey  was  ended  by  difficulties  with  the  Indi- 
ans, and  he  was  obliged  to  return. 

The  Dahkotahs  were  suspected  of  having  molested 
this  expedition.     The  king  of  France,  writing  to  the 


been  the  thrones  and  playgrounds  of 
fairies.  But  I  must  stick  to  facts.  I 
now  started  eastward  to  visit  a  coni- 
cal appearing  hill,  distant  about  !a 
mile  and  a  half.  I  easily  descended 
the  hill,  but  to  cross  the  plain  and 
,  ascend  another  hill, "  Ate  labor  eat." 
~Bufr-I-^waauajnply  repaid.  The  hill 
proved  to  be  a  ridge  with  several  stone 
heaps  on  the  summit.  Near  on^  heap 
there  is  a  beautiful  little  tree  with  a 
top  like  "  Tarn  O'Shanter's"  bonnet. 
In  these  heaps  I  found  the  bones 
which  I  left  with  you.  I  discovered 
each  about  half-way  down  the  heaps. 
I  then  descended  northward  about 
two  hundred  feet,  crossed  a  valley, 
passed  some  earth  mounds,  and  as- 
cended another  hill,  and  there  fdunJI' 
several  more  stone  heaps  similar  t^^ 
the  others.  In  them  I  found  no 
bones,  nor  did  I  see  anything  else 
worthy  of  particular  notice  at  pre- 
sent. 

If  these  facts  should,  in  any  mea- 
sure, help  to  preserf^  correct  infor- 
mation oonoerning  any  part  of  this  . 
new  country,  I  shall  be  amply  re- 
warded for  writing. 

Your  obedient  servant,     T"^ 

J.  F.  AlTON. 

KapoBia»  liB.  17, 1852. 


proximity  of  my  gun,  tended  to  sup- 
press my  dread  of  rattlesnakes. 
The  stones  were  such  that  I  could 
lift,  or  roll  them,  and  soon  reached 
ti  stick  about  two  feet  from  the  top 
^  of  the  heap.  After  descending  about 
a  foot  further,  I  pulled  the  post  out ; 
and  about  the  same  place  fouida 
shank  bone,  about  five  inches  long. 
"The  post  was  red  cedar  iialf  decayed, 
^t*.  e.  one  side,  and  rotted  to  a  point 
in  the  ground ;  hence  I  could  not 
tell  whether  it  grew  there  or  not. 
The  bone  is  similar  to  the  two  which 
you  have.  I  left  it  and  the  post  on 
the  heap,  hoping  that  some  one 
better  skilled  in  osteology  might 
visit  the  heap.  The  stones  of  the 
heap  are  magnesian  limestone,  which 
forms  the  upper  stratum  of  the  hills 
about  Red  Wing. 

Much  pleftsed,  I  started  over  the 
hill  top,  and  was  soon  greeted  by  an- 
other silent  monument  of  art.  This 
heap  is  marked  B.  on  the  map.  It  is 
similar  to  the  first  which  is  marked 
A.,  only  it  is  larger,  and  was  so  co- 
vered with  a  vine,  that  I  had  no  suc- 
cess in  opening  it.  From  this  point 
there  is  a  fine  view  southward.  The 
valleys  and  hills  are  delightful.  S^ch 
hills  and  vales,  such  cairns  and  bushy 
glona,  would,  in  mjrfHther^H  landjJNiiTW 


■,-;j^^W"-'  :/;/V'^'fli'>'iS'V''j"»!".iW^-?^'^'y^'i,'„*i^f^!s 


FINAL  ATTACK  ON  THE  FOXES. 


189 


governor  of  Canada,  under  date  of  May  tenth,  1737, 
says : — 

"  As  respects  the  Scioux,  according  to  what  the  com- 
mandant^ and  missionary'  have  written  to  Sieur  de 
Beauhamois,  relative  to  the  disposition  of  these  Indians, 
nothing  appears  to  be  wanting  on  that  point.  But  their 
delay  in  coming  down  to  Montreal  since  the  time  they 
promised  to  do  so,  must  render  their  sentiments  some- 
what suspected,  and  nothing  but  fact^can  determine 
whether  theii*  fidelity  can  b^  absolutely  relied  on.  But 
what  must  fi^ill  further  increase  the  uneasiness  to  be 
entertained  in  their  regard,  is  the  attack  on  the  convoy 
of  M.  de  la  Veranderie." 

The  Foxes  having  killed  some  Frenchmen  in  the 
Illinois  country,  in  1741,  the  governor  of  Cpnada,  Mar- 
qius  de  Beauhamois,  assembled  at  his  house,  some  of 
the  most  expeJ^Bnced  officers  in  the  Indian  service,  the 
Baron  de  Longeuil,  La  Come,  De  Lighery,  -and  others, 
and  it  was  unanimously  agreed,  that  the  welfare  of  the 
French  demanded  the  complete  extermination  of  the 
Foxes,  gild  that  the  movements  against  them  should  be 
conducted  with  the  greatest  caution. 

Louis  XV.  was  gla$  to  hear  of  the  determination  of 
the  governor  of  Canada,  but  he  was  afraid  that  it  would 
r^liot  be  conducted  with  sufficient  secrecy.  He,  with  great 
discernment,  remarks, "  If  they  foresee  their  inability  to 
resist,  they  wiU  have  adopted  the  policy  of  retreating 
to  the  Scioux  of  the  Prairies,  from'which  point  they  will 
cause  more  disorder,  in  the  coloijy,  than  if  they  had 
been  allowed  to  remain  quiet  in  their  village.**        ~^-  - 

The  officer  in  charge  of  tho  incursion,  was  Moran,*^  - 


I        


^  Saint  Pierre.  '  •Guignag. 

'  ftoUbly  Siew  M>ri%of  tho  Frpnoh  T)nmimfatl. 


m-. 


A 


H 


190 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


r 


who  once  had  chq.rge  of  the  post  St.  Nicholas  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  on  the  Mississippi.  His 
strategy  was  not  unlike  that  of  the  besiegers  of  ancient 
Troy.  At  that  time  the  Fox  tribe  lived  at  the  Little 
Butte  des  Morts,  on  the  Fox  river  of  Wisconsin.  When- 
ever  a  trader's  canoe  hove  in  sight,  they  lighted  a  torch 
upon  the  bank,  which  was  a  signal  for  Frenchmen  to 
land,  and  pay  for  the  privilege  of  using  the  stream. 

Moran  having  placed  his  men  in  canoes,  with  their 
guns  primed,  had  each  canoe  covered  with  canvas,  as 
if  he  was  bringing  into  the  country  an  outfit  of  mer- 
chandise, and  desired  to  protect  it  from  storms.  When 
near  Little  Butte  des  Morts  the  party  was  divided,  a 
portion  proc^ding  by  land  to  the  rear  of  the  Fox  vil- 
lage, and  the*T^mainder  moving  up  the  stream. 

The  d^inen  having  paddled  the  canoes  within  view 
of  tj^/ Foxes,  they,  according  to  custom,  planted  the 
torcfi,  supposing  it  was  a  trader's  "  brigade."^ 
furiosity  brought  men,  women,  and  children  to  the 
river's  bank,  and  as  they  gazed,  the  canoes  were  suddenly 
uncovered,  and  the  discharge  of  a  swivel,  and  volleys 
"^  of  musketry,  were  the  presents  received.  Before  they 
could  recover  from  their  consternation,  they  received 
"  a  fire  in  the  rear"  from  the  land  party,  and  many 
were  ki|led.  The  remnant  retreated  to  the  Wisconsin, 
twenty-one  miles  from  Prairie  du  Allien,  where,  the 
next  season  Moran  and  his  troops,  on  snow  shoes,  sur- 
prised them  while  they  were  engaged  in  a  game,  and 
slew  nearly  the  whole  settlement.'  .^. 

During  the  winter  of  1746-6,  D^  liusignan  visited 


•  In  the  North-Went  a  oolleotlon    Reoolleotlont.    I'd.  iii.,  Wi«.  Hit* 
of  traders'  oaooeiU  called  a  brigade.    Soo.  OoL  * 

«  8nemDg'»  North-Wagt,  Qfignon^a 


!i^^,. 


LXJSIQNAN  VISITS  THE  DAHKOTA^IS. 


191  . 


the  Dahkotahs,  ordered  by  government  to  hunt  up  the  • 
"coureurs  des  bois,"  and  withdraw  them  from  the 
country.  They  started  to  return  with  him,  but  learn-  . 
ing  that  they  would  be  arrested  at  Mackinaw,' for  viola- 
tion of  law,  they  ran  awayi  While  at  the  villages  of 
the  Dahkotahs  of  the  lakes  and  plains,  the  chiefs 
brought  to  thift  ofl&cer  nineteen  of  their  young  inen, 
bound  with  cords,  who  had  killed  three  Frenchmen  at 
the  Illinois.  While  he  remained  with  them  they  made 
peace  with  the  Ojibways  of  La  Pointe,  with  whom  they 
had  been  at  war  for  some  time.  On  "his  return,  four 
chiefs  accompanied  him  to  Montreal,  to  solicit  pardon 
for  their  young  braves.  - 

The  lessees  of  the  trading  post  lost  many  of  their 
jteltries  that  winter,  in  consequence  of  a  fire.  ~ 

English  influence  produced  increasing  dissatisfaction 
among  the  Indians  that  were  beyond  Mackinaw.  Not 
only  were  voyageurs  robbed  and  maltreated  at  Sault  St. 
Marie,  and  other  points  on  Lake  Superior,  but  even  the 
commanjjant  at  Mackinaw  Was  exposed  to  insolenc^,  and 
there  was  no  security  anywhere.  The  'Marquis  de  - 
Beauharnois  determined  to  sei&d  St.  Pierre  to  Ijie  scene 
of  disorder.  In  the  language  of  a  document  of  the  day, 
hrf'was  "a  very  good  oflBcer,  much  esteemed  among' 
all  the  nati(fti8  of  those  parts — none  more  loved  and 
feared." 

On  his  arrivil,  the  savages  were  so  cross,  that  he 
advised  that  no  Frenchman  should  come  to  trade.       .  ^ 

By  promptness  and  boldness,  he  secured  the  Ipdians 
who  had  murdered  some  Frenchmen,  and  obtained  the  ^ 
respect  of  the  tribes. ,  -  +^ 

While  the  three  murderers  were  being  convjeyed  in  a 
canoe  down  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Quebec,  in  chaxge  of  a 


i# 


K' 


'\ 


X 


w 


«    ^  -"^     *Y     •■ 


5 


192  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

sergeant  and  seven  soldiers,  the  savages,jsvith  character- 
istic cunning,  though  manacled,  succeeded  in  killing  or 
drowning  the  guard.  Cfttting  theif  irons  with  an  axe, 
they   sought  the   woods,   and  escaped  to  their  own 

country.  /^  nr 

"  Thus,"  writes  Galassoniere,  in  1748,  to  Count  Ma,u. 
repas,  ''was  lost  in  a  great  measure  the  fruit  of  Sieur 
St.  Pierre's  good  management,  and  of  all  the  fatigue  I 
'■  endured  to  get  the  nations  who    surrendered  these  ,    -^i 
^cals  to  listen  to  reason."  Jflft 


'o 


'\ 


.( 


-*- 


■15:,; 


"k 


1^  •' )-  i^- 


,T,^^-IW-f«  J 


sr- 
or 
:e, 
m 


INDIAN  ENLISTMENT.— FRENCH  WAR. 


193 


ur 


Ji 


« 


CHAPTER  X. 

Canada  was  now  fairly  involved  in  the  war  with 
New  York  and  the  New  England  colonies.    The  Home 
Grovemments  were  anxious  lookers  on,  for  momentous 
issues  depended  upon  the  failure  or  success  of  either  ; 
party. 

The  French  knew  that  they  must  enlist  the  Upper 
Indians  on  their  side,  or"  lose  Detroit,  Mackinaw,  and 
indeed  all  the  keys  of  the  valley'of  the  Mississippi,  and 
the  region  of  the  lakes.  They,  therefore,  sent  officers 
with  presents  to  Mackinaw,  to  induce  the  tribes  of  the 
far  West  to  unite  with  them  in  expelling  the  English. 

'It  was  impossible  to  form  regiments  of  the  North 
American  savages,  as  the  French  of  modem  days  have 
done^in  Algeria,  or  as  the  British  with  the  Sepoys. 

Indians  can  never  be  made  to  move  in  platoons. 
From  youth  they  have  marched  in  single  file,  and  have 
only  answered  to  the  call  of  their  inclinations,  and  over 
them  their  chiefs  have  not  the  slightest  authority.  To' 
their  capricious  natures  enlistment  for  a  fixed  time  is 
repugnant.  At  the  same  time,  under  the  guidance  of 
colonial  officers  wha  humoured  them  in  their  whims, 
they  frequently  rendered  efficient  service.  They  were 
conversant  with  the  recesses  of  the  forest,  and  walked 
through  the  tangled  wilderness  with  the  same  ease  that 


18 


^BE 


^ 


so.^}-!  ■Rjr-watyv.  i.«-  -I  J     • 


V 


{94  :   HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA;  ;  / 

tEe  French  military  officers  promenaded  the  gardens  of 
Paris     They  dikovered  the  trail  of  men  with   the  / 
mstinct  that  their  dogs   scented  the '  tracKs  .pf  wild 
beasts.   -Adroit  in  an  attack,  they  would  also,  amid  a-  , 
shower  of  musket  balls,  feel  for  the  scalp.of  an^enemy 

With  stich  alUes  it  is  no  wonder  that  New  England 
mothers  and  delicate  maidens  turned  pale  when,  they 
heard  that  the  French  w^re  coming.^    ^  !        _ 

On  the  twenty-third  of  August,  1747,  Philip  Le  Due 
arrived  at  Max^kinaw  from  LaWe  Superior,  statmg  that 
he  had  been  robbed  of  his  goods  at  Kamanistigoya,  and 

that  the  Ojibways  of  the  lake  were  favourably  diBposed 
toward  the'^EngUsh.^    The  DahkotahB  were  also  becom-    • 
ing  unruly  in  tU  absence  of  French  officers.  ' 

.      In  the  few  weeks  after  Le  Due's  robbery,  St.  Fierre  ^ 
left  Montreal  to  become  commandant  at  Mackinaw,  and  \ 
Vercheres  was  appointed  for  the  post  at  Green  Bay. 
(    On  the. twenty-first  of  June  of  the  next  year,  La 
Wde  started  for  La  Pointe,  and  La  Verandene  for 
WestSea'— Fond  du  Lac,  Minnesota.  .  .        -       . 

For  several  years  there  was  constant  dissatisfoction 
among  the  Indians,  but  under  the  influence  of  Sieur 
Marin,  who  was  in  command  at  Green  Bi^y  m^l75d, 
tranquillity  was  in  a  measure  restored.  "       > 


»  The  following  are  some  of  the 
arrivals  in  a  ftvr  weeks  at  Montreal, 
in  1746.  July  23—31  Ottawae  of 
Detroit. 

July  31,  16  Folles  Avoine*  for  war, 
"  ^     HKiskakons  "     " ' 

»    »       4Soioux,  to   aak   fcH^** 
commandant. 
Au|.  2,    50  ^ttowattomicsforwar. 
16  Puans 


Aug. 


<l        M 


l<        « 


«        « 


6.    40  Ottawas  of  the  Fork. 
10,   66  MipsiBBagues. 

80  Algonkins  and  Nepia- 

singfl. 
14  Sauteurs.  ,      '    * 
i22,  88  Ottawa«  of  I^ettoit. 
"     17  Sauteurs 
"     24  Hurons. 
"     14  Poutewfttamis. 
Pigeon  river,  part  of  northerfc 


«»    "    -10  llHnow 


»    "        l»e«»dary  of  MinnesotflbL 


6,     50  Ottawas  of  Mackinaw.         '  Carver's  map  calls  U  We^t  Bay. 


B  "''«■. 


-  "tTS.W'S^^^  '■ 


BRADDOCk'S.  DEFEAT.— ST.  PIEBBE'S  DEATH. 


195 


As  the  war  between  !l^ngland  and  France,  iii  America 
became  desperate,  the  officers  of  the  north-western  posts 
were  called  into  action,  and  stationed  nearer  the  enemy. 

Legardeur  de  St.  Pierre,  whose  name  it  is  thought 
V  was  formerly  attached  to  the  river  frcwnivhich  the  state 
of  Minnesota  derives  its  n^me,  was  in  command  of  a 
rude  post  in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  December, 
1753,  and  to  him  Washington,  then  just  ^nteryig  upon 
manhood,  bore  a  letter  from  Governor. J)in.widdie  of 
Virginia.*  j  °  .  . 

On  the  ninth  of  ^FiJl^,  1755,  Beaujeu  and  De  Lignery, 
who  had  pursued  sp  unsuccessfully  the  Foxes,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Wisconsin,  in  1728,  were  at  Fort  Duqiiesne, 
and  ijmarch^d  out  of  the  fort  with  soldiers,  Canadians, 
and  Indians,  to  ^ekj  an^ambush^  btlt  about  noon,  before 
reaching  the  desirdJ  spo^  the|r  met  the  enemy  under 
Braddock,  who  discharged  a  galling  fire  from  their  artil- 
lery, by  which  Beaij^u  was  killed.  The  sequel,  which 
led  to  the  memoraWe.  defeat  of  Braddock,  is  familiar  to 
aW  who  have  read  the  life  df  Washington. 
,  ,Un(|«r  Bajon  bieskaw,  St.  Pierre  commanded  the 
^Indians,  in  September,  1755,  during  the  campaign  on 
Lake.  Champlain,  where  he  fell  gallantly  fighting  |be 
English,  as  did  his  commander. .  The  Beverend  Clattg^ 
Cocquard,  alluding  to  iheW^ch  defeat,  m  a  letter  W  , 
his  brother,  remarks  :--?^  / 

""We  lost,  on  .that  ofccasipn,  a  brave  oflicer,  M.  de/St.  ^ 
Pierre,  and  had  his  advice,  as  well  as  that  of  &^ei€i  '  )^^ 
other  Canadian  officers  been  followed,  Joncksoh'  wa«     * 
irretrievably  de8troyed,.tbid.we  should  have  been  spared    .,. 
the  tipubie  we  have  had  this  ytar." 

*    'K  1 

f  :f:» 

.     »  St.  Pierre's  reprty^  fnasty  and  .dignified.    See  Pennsylvania  Colo- 
.       •JohnMn.  '  '  A 


T-^ 


»-■  — —  - 


v^L 


T^  S^WJiEfe^W^t*^ 


IJJT^-'^Kpfl'     T 


Ijg  '        HISTOOT  OF  MINNESOTA.  " 

■^^^Tofficera  who  had' been  stationed  on  the  borders 
■^mnesoW,  also  distinguished  themselves  duhng  the 
French  war.    The  Mairquis  Montcalm  in  camp  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  on  the  twenty-seventh,  of  July,  1757,  writes  to 
Vaudreuil,  Governor  of  Canada.  I  _ 

.       "  Lieutenant  Marin,  of  the  Colonial  troops,  who  has, 
■    exhibited  a  rare   audacity,  did  not  consider  himself 
tound  to  halt,  although  his  detachment  of  about  four  ;, 
hundred  men  wa«  reduced  to  about  two  hundred    h^ 
balance  having  been  sent  ba«k  on  account^f  mability 
to  Mow     h!  carried  off  a  patrol  of  ten  men,  and 
Ipt  ^wa/.an  ordinary  guard  of  fifty,  hk^a  wafer; 
went  up  to  the  enemy's  oamp,  under  Fo^  Lydms 
(Edward),  where  he  wa^'exposed  to  a  severe  fire  and 
retreatedUlce  a  warrior.    He  was  unwilhiSg  to  amuse 
.  himself  making  prisoners ;  he  brought  m  only  *e,  and 
thirty-two  scalps,  and  mnst  have  killed  many  men  of 
the  eftemy,  in  the  midst  of  whose  ranks  itVa«  nether 
wLtr^mdent  to  go  in  search  of  ^^J^^n    ""^"^ 
^nerally  all  behaved  weU.  '  '  *  *  ;       TheOutaouais 
Uo  arrived  with  me,  and  whom  I  designed  to  go  on  a 
scouting  party  towairds  the  l^H  had  conceiyed  a  pro- 
iect  of  administering  a  corrective  to,  the  English  barges. 
»  •  •  •  On  tlTe  day  before  yesterday,  your  brother 
formed  a  detachment  to  accompany  them.    Tamved  at 
his  camp  on  the  evening  of  thersame  day.    Lieutenant 
de  CorUere,  of  Colonial  troops,  was  retumng  m  conse- 
quence of  a  misunderstanding,  and  as  I  knew  the  zeal 
Li  intelligence  of  that  officer,  I  nlade  him  se  out  with 
a  new  instruction  to  rejoin  Messrs  de  LapgMe    and 
Hertel  de  Chantly.    They  remained  m  ambush  all  day 

•  ,  .•       '•    -ari^    h\»  Ufa  in  in  Griittion'B  RecoUectionB, 


^::JZ  bT-r^U.^ .k*"""'    *"•  °">-  "■■■  C-"'^"""';^' 


\ 


L 


-X" 


lif>- 


low  AYS  AT  TICONDEROGA. 


197 


and  night  yesterday;  at  break  of.  day  the  English 
appeared  on  Lake  St.  Sg^rament  (Champlain),  to  the 
number  of  twenty-two  barges,  under  the  command  of 
Sieur  Parker.  The  whoops  of  our  Iridiajis  impressed 
them  with  such  terror  that  they  made  but  feeble  resist- 
ance, and  only  two  barges  escaped."    • 

After  De  Corbiere's  victory  on  Lake  Chl&nplain,  a 
large  French  army  was  collected  at  Ticonderoga,  with 
which  there  were  many  Iii^ians  frpm  the  tribes^  of  .the 
North-west,'  and  the  loways  appeared  for  the  first  time 
in  the 'east.  '  -# 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  English  officers  who 


IKBIANS  OF  THE  UPPER  COUN'TRY. 


Tetes  de  Boule       .... 

Outaouaia  Kiskakons      .    . 
.  "         Sinagos      .     .     . 
"        of  the  Forksr..    . 
.      *'        ofMignogan  .    ._ 
1      "    '  "of  Beaver  Island 
"        of  Detroit  ,    .    . 
•*        of  Sagifiau  ^  ,    . 
Sauteurs  of  Chagoamigon  • . 
" '      of  Beaver     '.    .    . 
"        of  Coasekim&gen  . 
"      'ofthftCarp  .    *    w" 
"of  Cabibonkfe  •  .  \ 
Poutduatamis  of  St  Joseph 
■  '      •'    '        of  Detroit .    . 
Folles  Avpines  of  Orignal    . 
••  of  the  Chat. 

Miamtt    .    ;    ^     .    .    .    . 

P'uana  of  th6  Bay  .... 

Ayeouais  (loways)     ,    .    . 
Foxes  .     .    ....    .    .    .! 

Ouillas     .'    .   \ 

'Loups  .    .  ' 


OFFICERS. 
3 

94    De  Langlade. 
35     Florimont. 
70    Herbin. 
10    Abbe  Matayet. 
,44    Sulpitian. 
30 
54   . 

33    LaPlante; 
23    DeLorimer. 
14    Ohesne,  Interpreter. 
37/ 
50 
5^ 

18V^  ■ 
62, 

48s  De  Tailly,  Interpreter. 

10 

20  Marin,  Langus.      \ 

}0  Beaomp,  Interpreter. 


.  sa 


1 


Vs 


> 


Kl-l&tS  '  l^^. 


< 


181 


HISTORY  ^F  MINNESOTA. 


were  in  frequent  engagements  with  St..Pierr5,  Lusignan, 
Marin,  Langlade,  and  others,  became  the  pioneers  of  the 
British  a  few  years  afterwards,  in  the  occupation  of  the 
outposte  on  tht  Kakes,  and  in  the  exploration  of  Minne- 

sota.  .  ' 

Rogers,   the   celebrated  captain  of  rangers,   subse- 
quently commander  of  Mackinaw,  and  Jonathan  Carver, 
the  first  British  explorer  of  Minnesota,  were  both  on 
duty  at  Lake  Champl'ain— the  latter  narrowly  escaping 
.  at  the  battle  of  Fort  G«orge. 

,ijOn  Christmas  eve,  1757,  Rogers  approached  Fort 
Ticondero^a,  to  fire  the  out-houses,  but  was  prevented 
by  discharge  of  the  cannons  of  the  French;  ^ 

He  ooptented  himself  with  killmg  fifteeil  beeves,  on 
the  horns  of  one  of  which  he  left  a  laconic  and  q^using 
note,  addressed  to  the  commander  of  the  ^ost.' 

On  the  thirteenth  of  March,^  1758,  Durantaye,  for- 
merly at  Mackinaw,  had -fC  skirmish  with  Rogers.  Both 
had  been  trained  on  the  frontier,  and  they  met  "  as 
Greek  met  Greek."  Tl^e  conflict  was  fierce,  and  the 
French  victorious.  The  Indian  allies,  finding  a  scalp 
of  a  chief  underneath  an  officer's  jacket^;  were  furious, 
and  took  one  hundred  and  fourteen  scalps  in  return. 
When  the  Fifench  returned,  they  supposed  that  Captain 
Rogers  was  among  the  killed.  * 

At  Quebec,  when  Montcahn  and  Wolfe  fell,  there 
were  Ojibways  present,  assisting  the  French. 
•     The  Indians,  returning  from  the  expeditions  against 
,vi-  ■■  ■>,;■.-••■ 

i  "  I  am  obliged  to  you,  Sir,  for  the  my  compliment^  to  the  Marquis  du 

repose  you  have  allowed  me  to  t^e  ;  Montcalm.      Roobbs.  Cwnmandant 

i  thank  you  for  the  fresh  meat  you  Independent  0ompani«S8." 
have  HtU  toe,  I  request  you  to  present 


^  ^^»W'J>ei!»T^^W?!-»'SI^|ffiJf 


W- 


ENGLISH  AT  GREEN  BAY.— DAHEOTAH  EMBASSY. 


199 


th6  English  were  attacked  with  smail-pox,  and  many 
died  at  Mackinaw.  , 

On  the  eighth  of  September,  1760,  the  French  de-, 
livered  up  all  their  posts  in  Canada.     A  few  days  after 
the  capitulation  at  Montreal,  Major  Rogers  was  sent 
with  English  troops,  to  garrison  the  posts  of  the  distant  . 

.  North-west.  > 

On  the  eighth  of  September,  1J61,  a  year  aftpr  the 
surrender,  Captain  Belfour,  of  the  eightieth  regiment 
of  the  British  army,  left  Detroit,  with  a  detachment,  to  ' 
take  possession  of  the  French  forts  at  Mackinaw  and 

I  Green  Bay.  Twenty-five  soldiers  were  left  at,  Macki-r 
naw  in  command  of  Lieutenant  Leslie,  and  the  rest 
sailed  to  Green  Bay,  where  they  arrived  on  the  twelftji  ' 
of  October.  -  The  fort  had  been  abandoned  for  several 
years,  and  was  in  a  dilapidated  condition.  In  charge 
of  it,  there  was  left  a  lieutenant,  a  corporal,  and"  fifteen 
soldiers.  Two  English  traders  arrived  at  the  sam6 
time— McKay  from  Albany,  and  Goddard  from  Mon-  ^ 

■treal.       ,  I 

'*0n  the  first  of  March,  1763,  twelve  Dahkotah  war-     - 
.  riors  arrived  at  the  fort,  and  proffered  the  friendship  of  '  ^^ 

the  nation.   They  told  the  English  officer,  with  warmth, 
-  that  if  the  Ojibways,  or  other  IndJiiQS,  wished  to  obstruct 
the  passage  of  the  traders  coming  up,  to  send  them  a 
belt,  and  they  would  come  an4  cut  them  off,  as  all 
.  Indians  were  their  slaves  or  dogs!    They  then  produced  ,      *  ■ 
a  letter  written  by  Penneshaw,  a  French  traded  who 
had  been  permitted,  the  year  before,'  to  go  to  their 
/^"'^^untry.     On  the  nineteenth  of  June,  Penneshaw  re- 
turned from  his  trading  expedition  among  the  Dahko- 
tabs.      By  his   influence  the,  nation  was  favourably 
affected  Ward  the^  EngUsh.    He  brought  with  him  | 


1  rfT^^-W^J-ij-T^-    j^«J^,^*ig^4.-/^^-S5l- 


''35H       *    w    yt-^Sf^^ 


X^~ 


,  f^f    ^  «-,  5>?j^ 


■% 


200 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


pipe  from  them,  witfi  a  r^uest  that  traders  might.be 
sent  to  them.^ 


1  Extracts  from  the  journal  of  Lt. 
Gorell,  an  English  officer  at  Green 
Bay,  Wis.  His.  Coll.  vol.  i. 

"  On  March  1,  1763,  twelve  war- 
riors of  the  Sous  came  here.    It  is 
certainly    the    greatest   nation   of 
Indians  ever  yet  found.    Not  above 
two  thousand  of  them  were  ever 
armed  with  fire-arms,  the  rest  de- 
pending entirely  on  bows  and  arrows, 
which  they  use  with  more  skill  than 
any  other  Indian  nation  in  America. 
They  can-  shoot  the  wildest   and 
largest  beasts  in  the  woods  at  seventy 
or  one  hundred  yards  distant.    They 
are  remarkable  for  their  dancing, 
and    the    other    nations    take   the 
fashions  from  them.     »  »  *  »  This 
nation  is  always  at  war  with  the 
Chippewas,    those    who    destroyed 
Mishamakinak.    They  told  me  with 
warmth  that  if  ever  the  Chippewas 
or  any  other  Indians  wished  to  ob- 
struct the  passage  of  the  traders 
coming  up,  to  send  them  w^ord,  and 
they  would  come  and  cut  them  oflf 
from  the  face  of  the  earth,  as  all 
Indians  werp  their  slaves  or  dogs. 
I  told  them  I  was  glad  to  see  them, 
and  hoped  to  have  a  lasting  peace 
with  them.    They  then  gave  me  a 
letter  wrote  in  French,  and  two  belts 
of  wampum  from  their  king,  in  which 
he  expressed  great  joy  on  hearing  of 
■  there  being  English  at  his  post.    The 
letter  was  written  by  a  French  tra- 
der, whom  I  had  allowed  to  go  among 
them  last  fall,  with  a  promise  of  his 
■     -        J 


behaving  well,  Tfhich  he  did,  better 
than  any  Canadian  I  ever  knew.     * 
»  *  *  With  regard  to  traders,  I  told 
them  I  would  not  alloV  any  to  go 
amongst  them,  as  I  then  understood 
they  lay  out  of  the  government  of 
Canada,  but  made  no  doubt  they 
would  have  traders  from  the  Missis- 
sippi  in  the  spring.     They  went 
away  extremely  well  pleased.   'June 
14th,  1763,  the  traders  came  down 
from  the  Sack  country,  and  confirmed 
the  news  of  Landsing  and  his  son 
being  killed  by  the  French.    There 
came  with  the  traders  some  Puans 
and  four  young  men,- with  one  chief 
of  the  Avoy  (loway)  nation  to  de- 
mand traders.'    *  *  *  * 

"On  the  nineteenth,  a  deputation 
of  Winnebagpes,  Sacs,  Foxes,  and  Me- 
nominees  arrived  with  a  Frenchilan 
named  Pennensha.      This  Pennen- 
sha  is  the  same  man  who  wrote  the 
letter  the  Sous  brought  with  them 
in  French,  and  at  the  same  time  held 
council  with  that  great  nation  in 
favour  of  the  English,  by  which  he 
much  promoted  the  interest  of  the 
latter,  as  appeared  by  the  behaviour 
of  the  Sous!    He  brought  with  him 
a  pipe  from  the  Sous,  desiring  that 
as  the  road  is  now  clear,  they  would 
by  no  means  allow  the  Chippewas  to 
obstruct  it,  or  give4he  English  any 
disturbance,  or  prevent  the  traders 
from  coming  up  to  them.    If  they 
did  so  they  would  send  all  their 
warriors  and  out  them  off." 


■ '  "Pf  ■''■"?^«"  / 


|p»»-      '.VrC,        t    -,jpfl>»niy 


NO  ENGLISH  POSTS  BEYOND  MACKINAW. 


201 


,-f? 


_jj.  . 


CHAPTER  XL 


4-'-  ^ 


) 


Though  the  treaty  of  1763,  made  at  Versailles,  be- 
tween France  and  England,  ceded  all  the  territory 
comprised  within  the  limits  of  Wisconsin  and  Minne- 
sota to  the  latter  power,  the  English  did  not  for  a  long 
time  obtain  a  foothold.        *^ 

The  French  traders  having  purchased  wives  from  the 
Indian  tribes,  they  managed  to  preserve  a  feeling  of 
friendship  towards  their  king,  long  after  the  tradiil| 
posts  at  Greea  Bay  and  Sault  St.  Marie/  haxi  been  dis- 
continued.     ^  '     / 

The  price  paid  for  peltries  by  those  engaged  in  the 
fur  trade  at  New  Orleans,  was  also  {ligher  than  that 
which  the  British  could  afford  to  give,  so  that  the 
Indians  sought  for  French. goods  in  exchange  for  their 
skins.      ■    .,*         \       !      -:-[:■:. 

Finding  it  useless  to  compete  with  the  French  of  the 
lower  Mississippi,  the  English  government  established 
no  posts  of  trade  or  defence  beyond  Mackinaw.  The 
country  west  of  Lake  Michigan  appears  to  have  been 
trodden  by  but  few  British  subjects,  previous  to  hun 
who  forms  the  subject  of  the  present  chapter,  and  whose 
name  has  become  somewhat  famous  in  consequence  of 
his  heirs  having  laid  claun  to  the  sit^  of  St.  Paul,  and 
many  miles  fidjacent,  .    -^ 


■M^^JJJP** -^JT' 


<S^^ 


"W^^ 


■'w. 


i*]^"''-':' 


202 


HISTOay  OF- MINNESOTA. 


Jonathan  Carver  was  a  native  of  Connecticut.    It 
been  asserted  that  he  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  John 
Carver,  the  first  governor  of  Plymouth  colony ;  but  the 
only  definite  information  that  the  writer  caA  obtam  ^^ 
concerning  his  ancestry  is,  that  his  grandfather,  William 
Carver,  was  a  native  of  Wigan,  Lancashire,  England, 
and  a  captain  in  King  WilHam's  army  during  the  cam- 
paign in  Ireland,  and  for  meritorious  Services  received 
an  appointment  as  an.ofiicer  of  the  colony  of  Connecticut. 
His  farther  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  ibe  new  world, 
and  in  1732,  at  Stillwater,  or  Canterbury,  Connecticut, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bom.     At  the  early  age 
of  fifteen  he  was  called  to  mgdirn  the  death  of  his  father. 
He  then  comijienced  the^dy;|f  medicine,  but  his. 
roving  disposition  oould  %^^P^  ^^  confines  of  a 
doctor's  office,  and  feeliniJ^MiWs»  that  his   genius 
would  be  cramped  by  pestle*^  an^lpttar,  al  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  purchased  „an  ^nsign's  clfeaission  in  one  of 

,  the  regiments  Connedticut  raised  during  the  French 
war.  He  was  o^  medium  suture,  and  of  stroifg  mmd 
and  quick  perceptions.     '  : 

.  '  In  the  year  1757,  he  ^present  at  the  massacre  of. 
Fort  William  Henry,  asod  n^trrowly  escapedfwith  his  life. 
After  the  peace  of  1763,  between  France  and  Eng- 
land, was  declared.  Carver  conceived  the  project  of  ex- 
ploring the  North-west.  Leaving  Boston  in  the  month 
of  June,  1766,  hfe- arrived  at  Mackinaw,  then  the  most 
distant  British  post,  in  the  month  of  August.  Having 
obtained  a  credit  on  some  French  and  English  traders 
from  Major  Rogers,  the  officer  in  command,  he  started 
with  them  on  the  thil^i  day  of  September.  Pursuing 
the  usual  route  jfco  Green  Bay^,  they  arrived  there  on 
the  eh 


■  • 


^ 


■;^ 


r^m'^'^' 


•^S^s-fi 


( 


CARVER'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  PRAIRIE, DU  CHIEN. 


203 


"  The  French  fort  at  that  time  was  standing,  though   # 
much  decayed.     It  was^-^^raie  years  previous  to  his 
il,  garrisoned  for  a  short  time  by  an  officer  and 
iglish  soldiers,  but  they  having  been  captuijejj 
^nominees,  it  was  abandoned.  z^ 

ipany  with  the  traders-  he  left  Green  Bay  oir 
'thJPbwehtieth,  and  ascending  Fox  wsrer,  arrived  on  th# 
^wenty-fifth  at  an  island  at  the  east  end  of  Lake  Win- 
nebago, containing  about  fifty  acresu 

Here  he  found  a  "Winnebago  village  of  fifty  hoidtses. 
He  asserts  that  a  woman  was  in  authority.  In  the 
month  of  October  the  party  was  at  the  portage  of  the 
'VJ'isconsin,  and  descending  that  stream,  they  arrived, 
on  the  ninth,%t  a  town  of  the  Sauks.  While  here  he  , 
visited  some  lead  mines  about  fifteen  miles  distant. 
An  abundance  of  lead  was  also  seen-hrthe  village,  that 
had  been  brought^m  the  mines. 

On  the  tenth  tB^  arrived  at.  the  fi^:st  village  of  the 
"  Ottigaumies"  (Foxes),  ahd  about  five  miles  before  the 
Wisconsin  joins  the  Mississippi,  he  perceived  the  ^lem- 
nants  of  another  village,  and  learned  that  it  had  been 
deserted  about  thirty  years  beforehand  that  the  inhabiir 
ants,  soon  after  iJieir  removal,  built  a  town  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, near  the  mouth  of  thfe  "  Ouisconsin,"  at  a  place 
called  by  the  French  La  Prairie  les  Chiens,  which 
signified  the  Dog  Plains.  It  was  a  large  town,  and 
contained  about  three^un^red  families.  The  houses 
were  built  after  theppdiaii  manner,  and  pleasantly- 
situated  on  a  dry  rich^eoil/ 

He  saw  here  mc^  horsea  of  a;  good  size  and  shape. 
This  town  was  tji6  great  mftrt  where  all  the  adjacent 
tribes,  and  where  those  who  inhabit  the  most  remote  . 
branches  of  the  Mississippi,  annually  assemble  abcmt 


t^ 


_.^ 


:V^ 


im^- 


r^'.'  .:rtf<!yi  fy-^ 


204 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


-i 


•*' 


^ 


the  latter  end  of  May,  bringing  with  them  their  furs 
to  dispose  of  to  the  tra^ers.^  But  it  is  not  always  that 
they  conclude  their  sale  here.  This  wasdetermiiii^d  by 
a  geperal  council  of  the  chiefs/ who  consulted  whether  it 
would  be  more  conducive  to  their  interest  to  sell  their 
goods  at  this  place,  or  to.  carry  them  on  to  Louisiana 

or  Mackinaw. 

At  a  small  stream  called  Yellow  river,  opposite  Prairie 
du  Chien,  the  traders  who  ha^  thus  far  accompanied 
Carver  took  up  their  residence  for  the  winter. 

From  this  point  he  proceeded  in  a  canoe,  with  a 
Canadian  voyageur'  and  a  Mohawk  Indian,  as  com- 
panions. " 

Just  before  reaching  Lake  Pepin,  wttile  his  attend- 
ants were  one  day  preparing  dinner,  he  walked  out  and 
was  struck  with  the  peculiar  appearance  of  the  surface 
of  the  country,  and  thoi^ght  it  was  the  site  of  some  vast 
artificial  "earth- work.         ; 

It  is  a  fact,  worthy  of.  Jremembrance,  that  he  was  the. 
first  to  call  the  attention  of ,  the  civilized  world  to  the 
existendl  of  ancient  monume|its  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 
We^ve  his  own  descriptions —  "^ 

<*  On  the  first  oT  November  I  reached  Lake  Pepjji,  a 
few  miles  below  which  I  landed,  ancT,  whilst  the  ser- 
vants were  preparing  my  dinlier,  I  ascended  the  bank 
to  view  the  country.    I  had  not  proceeded  far  before  1 
came  to  a  fine,  level,  open  plain,  oa  which  I  perceived, 
at  a  little  distance,  a  partial  elevation,  that  had  the 
Appearance  of  entrenchn^nt.    On'^a  Hearer  inspection, 
Hn^  greater  reaflon  to  suppose  that  it  bad  really*been 
intended  for  this  many  centuri^  ago.   Notwithstanding 
IJit  wMk  now  covered  with  grass,.!  could  plainly  see  tnat 
it  )iaa  once  been  a  breaat-^yrk  of  aboiit  four  feet  in 


,':''  -   i 


•?i. 


a 

g.     ' 

s 

tt 

• 

' 

r 

-.„,% 

./ 

, ;  'J-.      . 

SUPPOSED  EARTH  WORKS  NEAR  LAKE  PEPIN. 


205 


height,  extending  the  best- p^  of  a  m^jind  sufficiently 
capacious  to  cover  five  thousand  meli-*^"Its  forni  was 
somfewhat  circular,  ^ii(J  ite  flanks  regxjhed  to  the  river. 

"Though  much  jjefaced  by  time^  every- aijgTe  was 
di8tinguishablp,'anaappeared  as  regular,  and  fashioned 
with  as  much  military  skill  as  if  planned  by  Vauban 
himself     The  ditch  was  not  "Visible ;  but  I  thought,  on 
examining  more  cariously,  that  I  could  perceive  there 
certainly  had  been  one.     From  its  situation,  also,  I  am 
convinced  that  it  must  have  been  designed  for  that 
purpose.     It  fronted  the  country,  and  the   reax  was 
covered  by  .the  riter,  nor  was  there  any  risihg  ground 
for  a  considerable  way  that  commanded  it ;    a'  few 
strasrslinff  lakes  were  alone  to  be  seen  near  it.     In 
many  places  small  tracks  were  worn  across  it  by  the 
feet  of -the  elks  or  deer,  and  from  the  depth  of  the  bed 
of  earth,  by  which  it  was  covered,  I  was  able  to-  draw 
^eytoin  conclusions  of  its  great  antiquity.    I  examined 
all  the  angles,  and  every  part  with  great  attention,  and 
have  often,  blamed  myself  smce,  for  not  encamping  on 
-the  spot,  and  drawing  an  exact  plan  of  it.    To  show 
that  this  description  is  not  the  olFspring  of  a  heated, 
imagination,  or.the^himerical  tale  of  a  mistaken  travel- 
ler, I  find,  on  in(|^y,  since  my  return,  that  Mons.  St. 
JPiqrre  and   several   traders  have/ at  difierent  •  times, 
Taken  notice  of  similar  appearances,  upon  which  they 
have  formed  the  same  conjectures,  but  without  exa-^, 
mining  them  so  minutely  aa  I  did.     How  a  work  of 
this  kind  could  exist  in  6,  countij«*that  haa^iitherto 
(according  to  the  generally  received  opinion)  been  tbc 
seat  of-  war  to  untutored  Indians  alorjp,  whose  whole  ^ 
stock  of  military  knowledge  has  only,  till  within  two 
cemturies,  Amounted  to  drawing  the  bow,  and  whose 


"*!^!?TW^T1***^«^^',"'   ' 


206  JJISTOEY  OF  MINNESaTA. 

only  breasWork;  even  at  present,  is  the  thicket,  J  know 
not.  I  have  given  as  exact  an  account  as  possible  of 
ihis  singular  appearance,  and  leave  to  future  explorers, 
^  of  those  .distant  regions,  to  discover  whether  it  is  a  pro- 
duction of  nature  or  art.  Perhaps  the  hints  I  have 
here  given,  might  lead  to  a  more  perfect  investigation 
of  it,  and  give  us  very  different  ideas  of  the  ancient 
state  of  reakns,  that  we  at  present  believe  to,  have  ^ 
been,  from  the  earliest  period,  only  the  habitations  of 

Bavages."  -  i,       <? 

•  Lake  Pepin  excited  his  admiration,  as  it  has  that  of 
every  traveller  since  his  day,  and  here  he  remarks :  "I 
observed  the  ruins  of  a  French  factory,  where  it  is  said 
Captain  St.  Pierre  resided,  and  carried  on  a  very  great 
trade  with  the  Naudowessies,  before  the  reduction  of 

Cajiada."  ^ 

-Carver's  first  acquaintance  with  the  Dahkotahs  com- 
menced near  the  river  St.  Croix.  It  would  seem  that 
Ihe  erection  of  trading  posts  on  Lake  Pepin  had  enticed 
-them   from   their  old    residence  on   Rum  r^er  and 

Mille  Lac.  '  ^  _      „ 

He  says :  "  Near  the  .river  St.  Croix,  relide  bands  of 
the  Naudowessie  Indians,  called  the  River  Bands.   This  . 
nation  is  composed  at"  present  of  eleven  bands.     They 
were  origmally  twelve,  but  the  Assinipoils,  some  years 
ago,  revolting  and  separating  themselves  from  the  others, 
there  temain  only  at  this  time  eleven.     Those  I  met 
here  are  termed  the  River  Iknds,  becaus6  they  chiefly 
dwell  near  the  banks  of  this  river ;  the  other  eight  are 
generally  distinguished  by  the  title  of  Naudowessies  of , 
the'  Plains,  and  inhabit  a  country  more  to  the  westward. 
The  name  of  the  forjmei:  are   Nehogatawonahs,  the 
TVf pwfii.whB.nntowah8,  and  Shashweentowahs. 


a  V 


<t  «^.- 


f 


\ 


1- 


i    CAVE  AND  BURIAL  PLACE  NEAJ8.  ST.  PAUL. 


207 


A.x» 


Arriving  at  what  is  now  a  suburb  of  the  capital  of 
Minnesota,  he  contiimes,  "about  thirteen  miles  below 
■   the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  at  which  I  arrived  the  tenth 
**  day  after  1  left  Lake  Pepin,  is  a  remarkable  cave  df  an 
^amazing  depth.    The  Indians  term  it  Wakon-teebe  (War 
kan-tipijL    The  entrance  into  it  is  about  ten  feet  wide,  the 
height  of  it  li^e  feet.    The  arch  within  is  near  fifteen  feet 
high,  and  about  thirty  feet  broad ;  the  bottom  consists  of 
fine  clear  sand.     About  thirty  feet  from  the  entrance, 
begins  a  lake,  the  water  of  which'  is  transparent,  and  ex- 
tends to  an  unsearchable  distance,  for  the  darkness  of  the 
ca^e  prevents  all  attempts  tq^acquire  a  knowledge  of  it. 
I  Uirew  a  small  pebble  towards  the  interior  part  of  it 
wit;h  my  utmost  strength ;  1  could  hear  that  it  f^l  into 
th%  water,  and,  oiotwithstanding  it  was  of  a  small  size, 
it  caused  an  astonishing  and  terrible  noise,  that  reverbe- 
rated through  all  those  gloomy  regions.    I  found  in  this 
cave  jnany  Indian  hieroglyphics,  which  ap^ared  very 
ancient,  fi)i;,  time  liad  nearly  covered  thefflp^  moss, 
*go  that  it.#aB  with  difficulty  I  could, trace  ttrem.    They 
w<^  <^  JBilfe  #u^  manner  upon  the  infeide  of  the  wall, 
which  waS;'e^po8ed  of  a  stone  so  extremely  soft  that  it 
might  be  easily  penetrated  with  a  knife;  a  stone  every- 
where to  be  l^und  near  the  Mississippi. 

"At  a  little  distance  from  this  dreary  cavern,  is  the 
burying-place  of  several  bands  of  th6  Ndudowessie 
Indians.  Though  these  people  have  no  fixed  resident, 
being  in  t^nts,  and  seldom  bitt  a  few  months  in  one 
spot,  yet  tiey  always  hrm$  the  bones  of  the  dead  to 
this  place/'       ^  "1  - 

.  »  The  cave  W  been  mat«fmlly  andLtheatmoBphew.l  Yearaagoihe 
altered  by  nearly  a  ceotury'»  work  top  fcsll  in,  but  ^n  the  side  walU,  not 
of  thoae  effectJTe  tool»,  froBl,  water,  ^-^Tefe^  by  debris,  pictography  gray 


^i 


I    , 


"•-^^-Ti^-- 


ss^"  "t*S^^ 


/ 


if- 


208 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


'\-' 


'  "  Ten  miles  below  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  the  river    ' 
St.  Pierre,  called  bj  the  natives  Wadapaw  JVIenesbtQr,'  ^ 
falls  into  the  Mississippi-  from  the  west.    It  is  not  men- 
tioned by  JFather  Hennepin,- thpugh  a  large,  fair  river. 
This  omi^ion,  I  consider,  musi  have  proceeded  from  a 
small  isknd  (Faribault's),"' that  is  situated  exactly  in  its 

entrance.'',  €l  ■   .     '      '^ 

When  he  reached  the  Minnesota  river,  the  ice  became  ^ 
so  troublesome  that  he  left  his  canoe  in  the  neighbour^ 
hood  of  what  is  now  the  ferry,  and  walked  to  St. 
Anthony,  in  company  with  a  young  Winnebago  chief, 
who  had  neve*  sceii  the  curling  waters.-  The  chief,  on 
reaching  the  eminence  some  distance  below  Cheever's, 
began  to  invoke  his  gods,  and  .offer  oblations  to  the 
spirit  in  :the  waters.  * 

"In  the  middle  of  the  PaHs-stands  a  small  island,  ^ 
about  forty  feet  broad,  and  somewhat  longer,  on  which' 
grow  a  few  cragged  heinlock  and  spruce  trees,  and  about 
Jialf  way  between  this  island  and  the  eastern  shore, is  c^, 
rock,^  lying  at  the  very  edge  of  the  Falls,  in  an  obli(][ue 
position,  that  appeured  tg  be  about,  five  or  six  feet  broad,  /■ 
and  thirty  or  forty  long.    At  a  little  distance  below  the  - 


with  age,  arc  visibre.  la  1807,  the' 
pl-esent  moUth  of  the  cave  was  so 
covered  up,  that  Major  Long,'  to  use 
a  vulgarism,  was  obliged  to  "creep 
on  %U  jPoijrs"  to  enter.  In  1820,  it; 
seems  tohavobeeA  closed,  lis  School- 
craft describes  another  cave  three 
miles  above,  as  Carver's.  Feathers- 
~  tonltaugh  made  the  same  tnist&ke 


It  is  noj^  walled  Qp  and  used  m  ». 
n>ot>houM  by  the  owner  of  the.land.  - 
.  On  the  bluff  abbve  are  numeroQS 
mooods.^  Under  the  siipervision  oT 
the  writer,  one  eighteen  feet  high  and 
two  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  in  cir- 
Qumference  at  the  base,  was  opened 
to  the  depth  of  three  of  four  feet. 
Fragments  of  skull,  wfiich  crqmbled 


In  1837  Nicollet  the  astronomer  on  exposure,  and  perfect  shells  of 

and    Kis  assistanta,   worked  many  human  teeth,  the  interior  ,entirely 

hours  and  entered  the  little. oat^  decayed,  were  found. 
Uiat  ronittlnedi 


e  ^^9^ 


ry 


••r-rV^T^ 


^         FALLS  OP  ST.  ANTHONY  IN  17GG. 


209 


■'"* 


Falls,  ^tands  a  small  island  of  about  an  acre  and  a  half, 
oh  which  grow  a  great  number  of  oak  trees." 

From  this  description,  it  would  appear  that^the  little 
island,  now  some  distance  in  front  of  thte  Falls/vas  once 
in  the  very  midst,  and  shoWs  that  a  constant  recession 
has  been  going  on,  and  that  m  ages  long  past,  they  wer^ 
^not  far  from  the  Minnesota  mer.  A  century  hence,  if 
%he  wearing  of  the  last  five  years  is  any  criterion,  the 
Falls  will  be  abDye  the  town  of  St.  Anthony. 

No  description  is  mgre  glowing  than  Carver^s,  of  the  ^ 
country  adjacent : —    .  *■    -  * 

"  The  country  aroiind  them  is  extremely  beautiful. 
It  is  not  an  uninterrupted  plain,  where  the  eye  finds  no, 
relief,  but  composed  of  many  gentle  ascents,  which  in 
the  summer  are  covered  with  the -finest  verdure,  and 
interspersed  Avith  little   groves  that  give  a  pleasiag 
variety  to  the  prospect.     On  the  whole,  when  the  Falls 
'are  included,  which  may  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  four  . 
miles,  a  more  pleasing  a^kpicturesque  view  I  believe 
^^riot  be  found  throughcSpthe  universe." 
y5e  arrived  at  the  Falkon  the  seventeenth  of  Novem-  - 
ber.  If  66,  and  appears  to 'have  ascended  ^s  iar  as  Elk 
".river  '^-^  .■'.'  '.v.  ~.  *  -^  ,  '  '     ,  ' , 

">On  tl\e  iweniy-fifltoP  November,  h^Mjd  returned  to 
the  place  om)osite  th?li|innesota,  wh^gle*had  |j^  Ms 
canoe,  and  phis  stream  a#^et  P.ot  beingjt)bstM||^with 
ice,  he  commenced  its  ascent,  with  the  colotiSpf  l&reat  - 
Britatin  flying  at  the  stern  of  his  canoe.-  There  is  no 
doaibt  that  he  entered  this  riv^r,  but  how  far  he  explored 
it  cannot  be  ascertained.  He  s^aks  of  the  Ilapids  near 
ShokDpay,^aiid  asserts  that  he  went  as  fiir  as  two  hundred 
,  miles  beyond  Mendota.    He^markg  :-- 

^<  On  the  seventh  of  December,  T  arrivRd  at  the  utmegW 


':•■  .  \ 


"**■  ■ 


"■    f 


'fV 


.West/wheft  I  met  a 
sviiom  i 

thkotahs 

theft  i.Uies,te  ad^  «  .WSt' l^Af  ^j*",*^^ 

SSwe  IndiaWB  thVlA  end  of  Apnl,  l.eTj 

H'-not  p»rt  fropi  the.^  fe  se^eraj  days,  as  I  was 

#    noi  p»         '.     «.^■^,„  near  lhre(?;h.undred  of 

jfe^pam^  ""-^of  til  river  St.  Pierre.  •  At  this 

•  ih^  to  the 3*^  %^^;,  ^,  g^at  cave  (Day, 

season  these  l?axias  annuaw^y  y^        b 
%n's  Bluff),  before  mentimM^_  ,  ^^.^^^ 

.  When  he  arrived  at  the  il^at  cave,  anu 
.   yvnen  u  -p„i;.itis  1  their  deceased  friends  in 

had  deposited  the  remains  yi  t  ^ 

the  huriaVpla^^e  th^t  stands^adaacent  to    t   they 
their  gr^at'council,  to  which  he  was  admitted      ^^     , 
^  1^1^^  the  Naudowessies  brought  their  dead  fo^  inter- 

menil 'thWgreatcave  (St. P;-^)'/-f  ^uX^ 
'  insfehtJnto  the  remaining  burial  rites,  but  whetl^er  it 

wlfon  account  of  the  stench^wMch  a-se  from^Bo  many 
Cifes  or  Whether  they  chose  to  keep  this  part  of  then: 

Sm  secret  from  me,  1  could  not  di^ver^  I  found 

however,  that  they  considered  my  cunopity  as  ilUimed, 

and  therefore  I  withdr<iw 


m 


\ 


diffe 


One  formality' among 
^or  the  deaa,  is  verj^  '"" 
Wkp.  the  other  nation 
^^o  show  how  great 
their  arms  above 
women  cut  and  gash 
,     till  the  blood  flows  ve 


audowespies  in  mourning 
Jrom  any  mode  I  observed 
which  I^passed.  The  meh, 
ih)W  is,  pierce  th^  flesh  of 
(ws  with  arrows,  and.  the 
j»  with  sharp  broken  fltots 
iifully. 


*   • 


♦   ♦• 


I  the  biooa  now»  vci jp^pp**- ./       -  ,     .    i         j  -^^ 

After  the'  b:.ath  islSJUd,  the  hody  .s  dres«d  .n, 
the  same  attire  it  usually  wore,  his  face  is  P<"n^^£^ 


f 


\  { 


1 


^  .   ;■ 


m 


iced 


■.\ 


ALLEGED  BURIAL  SPEECH  "AT  ST,  PAUL, 


211 


in  tie  midclle  of  the  hutr,Vith  his  weapons  by  his  side.  ■ 
His  relatives  seated  around,  each  harangues  iii  turn  tiie 
deceased;  ^d,  if*he  has  been  a  great  warrjoi*,  recounts 
his  heroic  actions  nearly  to  the  following  purpOF^,  which 
in  the  Indian  language  is  extremely  poetical  and  pleas- 
ing:— ...        ^  ' 

"  You  still  sit  among^  us,  brother,  your  person  retains 
its  usual  resemblance,  and  Continues  similar  to  ours, 

•  without  any  yisible  deficiency,  except  it  has  lost  the':  - 
power  of  action  I  But  whither  is  that  brejith  ^own^ 
which  a  fe-vjr  hours  ago  sent  iip, smoke  to  the  Great 
Spirit  ?  Why  ai^iiiose  lips  silent  that  lately  delivered 
to  UB  expressions  and  pleasing,  language  ?  Why  are 
those  felt  motionless  that  a  short  time  ago  were,  fleeter 
than,  the  deer  on  yonder  mountains  ?;  Why  useless 
hang  those  arms  that  could  climb  the  tallest  tree,. or 
draw  the  toughest  bow  ?  Alas !  every  part  of  that  frame  • 
which  w^  lately  beheld  with  aximiration  and  wonder,  is 

^now  become  as  inanimate  as  it  was'  three  hundred  years 
age?  !•  We  will  not,  however,  bemoan  thee  as  if  thou 
wast' for  ever  lost  to  us,  or  that  thy  name  wouji  be 
buried  in   obliyion— thy  soul  yet  lives  in  thte- great 

..country  of  Spirits  with  those  of  thy  nation; that  have 

*  gone  before  thee;  and,  though  we  are  left  behind  to 
1     perpetuate- thy  fame,  we  shall  one  day  join  thee. 

«  Actuated  -by  the  respecj;  we  bore  thee  \yhilst  hving, 
.  we  tiow;6ome  jto  tendec  thee' the  last  act  of  kindness  in 
our  powet;  ^at  Ihy  body  uaight  not  lie  neglected  on 
i\iB  plain  and  become  «b  pre^  to  the  beasts  of  the  field 
or  fowk  of  the  air,  we  will  take  care  to  lay  it  with  those 
■  of  thy  p^decessoni  who  have  gone  before  thfee ;  hoping 
at  the  stane  time^  that  thy  spirit- WiU  feed  with  ^heif 


.1 


V 


H, 


,t 


f         I 


^^^t 


) 


#. 


•  V^:: 


'If^'^'Jt^S^-'    '■'rsm^^^~ 


"M- 


K 


212  'history  op  MUINESOTA. 

spirits  and  be  /cady  to  receive  oui«  when  we  shall  also 
arrive  at  the  great  country  of  souls. 
Tr  this  spSch  Carver  is  principally  "^debted  to  h.s 
incarnation,  but  it  is  well  conceived,  and  suggested  one 

"^tS;::?fr -"other  sources  that  Carver's  visit^to 
the  pahkotahs  waa  of  some  effect  in  brmgmg  about 
My  ^tercoufi^tween  them  and  the  commander 
of  the  English  folce^Mackmaw. 
!ihe  earliest  mention  of  the  Dahkotahs,  m  any  pubk: 
£1  documents  that  we  know  of,  is  in  the  correspond- 
^rbetween  Sir  WilUam  Johnson,  Sjjpenntendent  of 
ISn  A^airsforthe  Co)ony  of  New  York,a*d  General 

aa.se  in  comAand  of  ^e  forces.         - 

.  X  he  eleventh,  of  ipte»ll;  ^ZT  "^  Zde' 

:  afto  Carver^s  sp^ch  at  Day«^s   Bluff,  '^'i^*«/«- 

,  ;llre  of  a  ni  of  chiefs  to  the  EngUsh  for^  a^ 

.  UinKw,JohlKnwn^toGe.^alG^;-   T^^^^ 

•    I;^so:Sg"^^rthrJ^o»Hevaste.pen.^ 
Zal  aid,  as  I  understand,  still  incurrmg  at  M.chi- 
Talkina.,  Chiefly  on  pi.ten«,  of  maMng  a  pea«e 
V«tween  the  Sioux  and  Chippiweighs,  T^th  which  I. 
Srwe  liave  very  little  to  do^n  good  poicy  or  o^e. 

"^WilUam  Johnson,  i^a  lette.  iS.  Xord  HiUsborou^i 
J     one  of  his  Majesty'sministers,  dated  August  sey^teenth, 
1768  again  refers  to  the  sulflect;—-     /V 

"M^h  greater  part  of  those  who  go  a  trading  are 
men  of  sucVcircumstance.  and  disposition  as  to  venture 
A^  persons  everywhere  for  extravagant  gams,  yet  the 

.  F.>r  t.~n.l.tiaDi  of  Schiller,  we  Oh.pl«r  111,  y.  89.^ 


M 

»i;' 


t 


( 


v'W 


W^'",* 


'1 


/' 


PROPOSED  PACIFIC  ROAD. 


213 


consequences  to  the  public,  are  not  to  be  slightedj  as  we 
jnay  be  led  into  a  general  quarrel  through  their  means. 
The  Indiians  in  the  part  adjacent  to  Michilimackinac 
have  been  treated- with  at  a  very  great  expense  for  some 
time  previous. 

"  Major  Eodgers  brings  a  considerable  charge  against 
the  former  for  mediating  a  peace  between  some  tribes 
of  the  Sioux  and  some  of  the  Chippeweighs,  which,  had 
it  been  attended  with  success,  would  only  have  been 
interesting  to  a  very  few  French,  and  others,  that  had 
goods  in  that  part  of  the  Indian  |ipuntry,  but  t^ie  con- 
trary has  happ^ed,  and  they  are  ^w  more  violejit,  and 
war  against  one  another."  f^^  ' 

Though  a  wilderness  of  over  one  thonsyad  miles  inter- 
vened between  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  and  the  white 
settlements  of  the  English,  he  was  fully  impressed  with, 
the  idea  that  the  state  now  organized  under  the  name 
of  Minnesota,  on  account  of  its  beauty  and  fertility,  c 
would  attract  settlers.  „'  " 

Speaking  of  the  advantages^i^country,  he  says 
that  the  future  population  will^pBSWe  to  convey  their 
produce  to  tl^e  seaports  with  great  facility,  the  current 
of  the  river  from  its  source  to  its  entrance  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  being  extremely  favourable  for  doing  this  in 
small  craft.  This  might  also  in  time  be  facilitate  hy 
canals  or  shorter  cuts,  and  a  Smmunication  opene^  hy 
■water  with  New  York,  hy  way  of  the  Lakes" 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  also  confident  that  a 
route  could  be  discovered  by  way  of  the  Minnesota  rive|k 
which  "  \spitd  ppen  a  passage  for  conveying  intellige; 
t6  Chin^*^  tlie .  Englis);!   settlements  in  the  E 

Indies."  ■■_^.,^,ii  '.■■-^^■.,  ■  %»^- 

Caryer^<Wi^^$%rryj|o  England,  intereBted  W|i 


m. 


.1 


^*':  , 


^   HIST0Ry\0P  MINNESOTA. 

worth,  am9HJ((rti%^"Tr^":V~ ,    ,,_^ 

Had  not  tlielSaericaii  Etevolution  commenced,  they 

proposed  to  have  built  a  W  at  Lake  P^pi";  Ig  ^^^« 
proceeded  up  the  Minnesotk  until  they  found,  a\  they 
supposed  they  could,  a  branck  of  the  Missouri,  and  from 
thence  journeying  over  the  sAmmit  of  lands,  until  they 
came  to  a  river  which  they  plW  Oregon,4hey  exp^ted 
.    to  descend  to  the  Pacific.  /       \  „        i_  j   v-„ 

Ca^er,  m^ommonwith  oiher  travellers^  had  ^s 
theory  in  relalion  to  i^ origin  oVihe  Dahkota^    He 
..supposed  that  they  came  frommsia.     He-  r. 
.  .  '^  But  this  might  have  been  at  different  times  an 
"^  various  parts^fromXart^xy,  ChinaUapan,  for^the 
bita;nts  of  these  places  resemble  each  other. 

"  lim%Ty  evident  that  pome  of  Me  names  and^  cu». 

^m^  m  Ameri&  Indians  reseUle  those  of  the 

martm,  an^  make  lo, doubt  but  thif  m  some  future 

..  ^ra,  and  this  not,  very,  distant,  it  will  be^ reduced  to 

4^inty  •  thafeduring  We  of.  the  waVs  between  the 

t    f^tars  ana  &  q^n^,  a^t  (^  theWhabitants  of 

"the  northern  ,.g^ces%ere^d#*nfro^^  native 

coiintryJLi'Pk  fefuge^m  s6^e  of  th^  isles  befbi^ 

^^ntio^^from  thence  found  their  wky  mto  Ame- 

■rica       ' '-  ■         ^'    t   X  \  *■        1  X 

■  "'Hany  words  are  used  both  by  the  Chin-ise  and  In- 
dians which  have  a  resemblance  to  ea«h  otH  "°*Ty 
in  their  sound  but  in  their  signification.  Th^  Chinese 
caU  a  slave  Shungo;  and  the  Naudowessie  \Indian9, 
whose  language,  torn  their  little  intercourse  ,^th  the 
Europeans,  is  least  corrupted,  term  a  dog  Shlmgush 

■  (Shoankah).  The  former  denominate  our  species  of 
their  tea  Shoushong ;  the  latter  call  their  tobacco  Shou^ 

„„„  (r-v- .t-.Ao)      Many  other  of  th^  words  Vsed. 


« 


4: 


■> 


,::'?--:■-      ■0~- 


'  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  CARVER  CLAIM. 


215 


by  the  Indians  contain  the  syllables  che,  chaw,  and  dm, 
after  the  dialect  of  the  Chinese."     The  comparison  of 
languages  has  become  a  rich  source  of  historical  know- 
ledge, yet  yery  many  of  the  analogies  traced  are  fanciful. 
The  remark  of  Humboldt  in  "  Cosmos"  is  worthy  of  re- 
membrance:— "As  the  structure  of  American  idioms 
appears   remarkably  strange  to  nations  speaking  the 
modem  languages  of  Western  Europe,  and  who  readily 
suflfer  themselves  to  be  led  away  by  some  accidental 
analogies   of   sound,   theologians    have    generally  be-^ 
lieved   that   they   could  trace    an    affinity  with  the 
Hebrew,  Spajiish   colonists  with  the  Basque  and  the 
English,  or  French  settlers  with  Gaelic,  Erse,  or  the 
Bas  Breton.     I  one  day  met  on  ^ the  coast  of  Peru,  a 
Spanish  naval  officer  and  an  English  whaling  captain, 
the  former  of  whom  declared  that  he  had  heard  Basque 
spoken  at  Tahiti ;  .the  other,  Gaelic  or  Erse  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands.'"  ^    ,     ,       . 

Carver  became  very  poor  while  in  England,  and  was 
a  derk  in  a  bttery  officfeHe  died  m  1780,  and  left  a 
widow,  two  sons,  and  ft»"gbters,  in  New  England, 
and  also  a  cliild  by  anol^wlfe  that  he  had  married  m 
Great  Britain.  "%  ^    i     . 

Aft«r  his  death  a  claim  was  urged  for  the  land  upon 
which  the  capital  of  Minnesota  now  xtands,  and  for 
many  miles  adjacent.  As  there  are  still  many  persons 
who  believe  that  they  have  some  right  through  certaitf 
deeds  purporting  to  be  from  the  heirs  of  Carver,  it  is  a 
matter  worthy  of  an  investigation. 

Carver  says  nothing  in  his  book  of  travels  m  relation 

to  a  grant  from  tl^e  Dahkotahs,  but  afteVhe  was  buried, 

it  was  asserted  that  there  WW  a  deed  belonging^  to  him 

in  existence,  conveying  valuable  lands,  and  that  °- 

ik : \ -^■*?«  ■     ' 


^^-'"f 


216  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 

deed  wa^  executed   ^t  the  cave  now  in  the   eastern 
suburbs  of  Saint  Paul.^ 

The  original  deed  was  iiever  exhibited  by  the 
assignees  of  the  heirs.  By  his  EngUsh  wife  Carver  had 
one  child,  a  daughter  Martha,  who  was  cared  for  by  Sir 
Richard  and  Lady  Pearson.  In  time  she  eloped  and 
married  a  sailor.  A  mercantile  firm  m  London,  thinking 
that  money  could  be  made,  induced  the  newly  married 
couple,  the  day  after  the  wedding,  io  convey  the  grant 
to  them,  with  the  understanding  that  they  were  to  have 
a  tenth  of  the  profits.  J 

The  merchants  despatehed  an  ag^fit  by  the  name  ot 
Clarke  to  go  to  the  Dahkotahs,  and  obtain  a  new  deed; 
,but  on  his  way  he  was  murdered  in  the  State  of  New 
York. 

as  follows,  viz  :  from  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  running  on  east  bank  of 
the  Mississiplii,  nearly  south-east, 
as- far  as  Lake  Pepin,  where  the 
Chippewa  joins  the  Mississippi,  and 
from  thence  eastward,  five  days  tra- 
vel accounting  twenty  English  miles 
per  day,  and  from  thence  again  to 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  on  a  direct 
straight  line.    We  do  for  ourselves, 
heirs,  and  assigns,  forever  give  unto 
the  said  Jonathan,  his  heirs  and 
assignf,  with   all  the   trees,  rocks, 
and  rivers  therein,  reserving  the  sole 
liberty  of  hunting  and  fishing  on 
land  not  planted  or  improved  by  the 
said  Jonathan,  his  heirs  and  assigns, 
to  which  we  have  affixed  our  respec- 
tive seals. 

"At  the  Great  Cave,  May  Ist, 

1767." 
"  Signed,    Hawnopawjatin. 
Otohtonooomlishkaw. 


»  Deed  purporting  to  have  been 

GIVEN   AT  THE  CAVE   IN  THE   BLUFF 

BELOW  St.  Paul. 
-    "To  Jonathan  Carver,  a  Chief 
under  the  most  mighty  and  potent 
George  the  Third  King  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  other  nations,  the  fame  of 
whose  warriors  has  reached  our  ears, 
and  has  now  been  fully  told  us  by 
our  good  brother  Jonathan,  aforesaid, 
whom  we  rejoice  to  have  come  among 
us,  and  bring  us  good  news  from  hia 
country. 

"We,  Chiefs  of  the  Naudowessies, 
who  have  hereunto  set  our  seals,  do 
by  these  presents,  for  ourselves  and 
heirs  forever,  in  return  for  the  aid 
and  other  good  services  done  by  the 
said  Jonathan  to  ourselves  and  alli#, 
give,  grant,  and  convey  to  him,  the 
said  Jonathan,  and  to  his  heirs  and 
assigns  forever,  the  whole  of  attain 
-tract  trftefi'ito*yof-^"'^^  bolndgi 


:^- 


%: 


CARVER'S  CLAIM  BEFORE  CONGRESS. 


211 


In  the  year  1794,  the  heirs  of  Carver's  American 
wife,  in  consideration  of  fifty  thousand  pounds  sterhng, 
conveyed  their  interest  in  the  Carver  grant  to  Edward 
Houghton  of  Vermont*!  In  the  year  1806,  Samuel 
Peters,^  who  had  been  aTory  and  an  Episcopal  minister 
during  the  Revolutionary  war,  alleges,  in  a  petition  to 
Congress,  that  he  had  also  purchased  of  the  heirs  of 
Carver  their  rights  to  the  grant. 

Before   the   Senate  Committee,  the   same  year,  he 
testified  as  follows : — 

"In  the  year  1774,  I  arrived  there  (London),  and 
met  Captain  Carver.     In  1775,  Carver  had  a  hearing 
before  the  king,  praying  his  majesty's  approval  of  a 
deed  of  land  dated  May  first,  1767,  and  sold  and  granted 
to  him  by  the  Naudowissies.   The  result  was  his  majesty 
approved  of  the  exertions  and  bravery  of  Captain  Carver 
among  the  Indian  nations,  near  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
in  the  Mississippi,  gave  to  said  Carver  1373Z.  13«.  Sd. 
sterhng,  and  ordered  a  frigate  to  be  prepared,  and  a 
transport  ship  to  carry  one  hundred   and  fifty  men, 
under  command  of  Captain  Carver,  with  four  others  as 
a  committee,  to  sail  next  June  to  New  Orleans,  and 
|/^S>  to  ascend  the  Mississippi  to  take  possession  of  said 
Ai^mtory  conveyed  to  Captain  Carver,  but  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  prevented/'* 

In  1821,  General  Leavenworth,  having  made  inqui- 
ries of  the  Dahkotahs,  in  relation  to  the  alleged  claun, 
addressed  the  following  to  the  commissioner  of  the  land 
ofl&ce : —  C 


^  Said  to  have  bewi  the  author  of 
a  fictitious  work  called  "  Connecticut 
Blue  Laws." 
.    *  Peters  also  testified  that  ho  was 


wie  great-grandson  of  Qovernor  John 
Carver,  the  first  O^ief  Magistrate  of 
Plymouth  Colonj 


W' 


H       «1 


'"">r. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


!K 


'   "Sir : Agreeably  to  your  request,  I  have  the  honour 

to  inform  you  what  i  have  understood  from  the  Indians 
■  of/til^  Sioux  Nation,  as  well  as  some  fjiots; within  my     / 

Own  knowledge,  as  to  what  is  qommoiliy  termed  Car- 
'v-  vers  Grant.     The  grant  purports^^o  be  made  by  the 

Chiefs  of  the  Sioux  of  the  Plains,  and  one  of  the  chiefs  ^ 

'  uses  the  sign  of  a  serpent,  and  the  other  a  turtle,  pur- 
porting that  their  names  are  derived  from  thos<e  animals. 
•'     "The  laud.liQS  on  the'last  side; of  the  MiAsijppi. 
-      The  Indians  do  not  recognise  or;  ackno\^ledge' the  grant 

to  be  valid,  ^d^they  among  ot^iers  tissign  tHe^follQw^-        ■  ' 

ing  reasons : —  *  .'t'    .     ■       *'  '    ' 

."1.  The'  Sioux  of  the  Plains  never  owned  <i  foot  of.    ^ 
land  on  the'  east  side  of  the  ^tfesissippi. '  The  Sioujj! 
Nation  is  divided  into  two  grand  divisions,^<Yi5^r  The      '    , 

Sioux  of  the  Lake,  oi*  perhaps  more  Mterally  Si||ax  o|^     ^ 
the  River,  and  Sim4;x  of  the  Plain:^  The  for^r  Jibslsts        ■ 
-         by  hunting  and  iJshing,  and  oisually  move^^lftg^ie  to 
place  by.wat^r,,in  cftfnoes,  ^uring  the  sumtogjjpp^pn, 
and  travei  grn  thej|g  in  the  winter,  when  not  olf  ^ir 
'    hunting  excursiorfBT  The' latter  subsist  en^rply  by  ^ 
\  hunting,  Jind  have  no  canoes,  nor 'do  they  knotv  but.     » 
little  about  t\th  use  of  thejn.     Tliejjr  reBid^  iii  fhtt  large       -  , 
pildries  west  t)f  the  Mississippi,  and' foUo^  the  b\iffal0,^^^^^^ 
upon  which  they  entirety  subsist ;  thes^  afe  called  Si(^^  • 
of  the  Plain,  and  nfever'  or^oiivlan'd  east  of  tik^Mis-'  *(,v 

^Z*"    N  BlSSippi^      '  •  ;/     /  v" ^      ,,     y  *;     ^      .^. 

-:       "^i.The  Indians  say  th«jr. have  no  kftowtedge  of  (^n^        ^ 

.'■  *         •  such  chiefs,  fts  those  AAo^baVe  sigriedV^Uie  grant  to    y   / 
Carver,  eitheriamongst  tfi^^ux  of  the  RlVey,  or "Siouxo  f^'   ^ 

'        ^     ^ftheWm.    Thp^s.ay^^  ^ 

■  obtain  a  iKed  or ;  gfimt,^.^^^  signed,  by  some  f^^jsji . " 
yQung  men  who  vi&ce  Itpi  chiefs,  and  who  if e^  not 


1  > 


K-'^  .' 


V 


<>  ... 


•  »      ,  ■         ■ 


».'  "j- 


>  ' 


SI  ./jh^'- 


'  * 


■  '■qi5"'';?^^iir-~ 


Ls      •■■ 

iQ 

^  1 

^» 

ir 

y 

it. 

■/• 

5e       • 

■■"  f.. 

;(-  -  ■"■ 

<-/ 

to    ••, 

1 

ot      . 

^•H' 


m: 


^. 


LEAVENWORTH'S  LETTER  OU  THE  GRANjI.  210 

authorized  to  make  a  grant.     Among;  the  Siqpx  of  the  , 
River  there  are  no  such  names. 

"3.  They  say  the  Indians  never  received  anything 
for  the  land,  and  they  liave  no  intention  to  part  with 
it,  without  St  consideration.  From,  my  knowledge  of 
"the  Indians,  I  am  \nduced  to  think  they  would  not 
liiake  so  considerable  a  grant,  and  have  it  go  into  full 
effect, "without  receil?ing  a  subutfUvtiaVoonsideratipn. 

44.'  They  have,  aud' ever  have  had,  the  possession 
of  the  land,  -anii  intend  to  keep  it.  X  know  that  they 
ar^  very  particular  in  makipg  every  person  who  wi«h^ 
to  cut  tSnber  on  that  trafct,  obtain  their  permission  to 

•  do  so,  and  to  obtain  payment  for  it.    In  the  moi^th  of 
May  last,  some  FreHchme^  brought  a  large  ra^'^f  red 
cedajf  timber  out  of  thp  Chippewa  river,  which  timber 
wasijut  on. the  tract  before  mentioned.  .  The  Indians  ai  . 
one  of  the  iyiUages  on  the  Mississippi, 'where  the  prin-.   , 

^'  cipal  chief  resided,  compelled,  the  Fren^Dften  to.  land  ,• 
the  raft,  and  ^ould  not  permit  them  to  ppfls  until  they 
had'receiveid  p»y  for  the  timber;  and  the  Frenchmen   j 
were  compelled -to  leav«  thjeir  raft  with  the  Indiafis    • 

•  until  thejji^ent  to  Prairie  du  Chie^,  and  obtained  th^  '*f 
necessary^articles,  tod  made  ttie  payment  required." 

On  the  twenty-third  of  Janjjlry,  48^3,  the  Committee 
:;of  Public   Lands  made  a  re'p||  on  thejaaim^  the. 
>*  Senate,  which,  to  ^very  disinterested  petso^  is  ehtirely 
Bftfcisfactorjr.     Afte?  stating  ftie  facts  of'the>tiao«the  . 

/  i?ie5port'coi)^uf8fJ^  .    ./*^"     (;'''p^:y  ..  ■!    •.,• '     WiMy 
^^Th^'Bey.i  Samuel  PeterarA'hi8^B^tition|  further    ) 
'Btates  th^i  lief*, ifcl^e  present  Ejnperoif  of  thte^SToux  M^ 
*.     «*      >i.   .   _„4  h^A  w;««  A  fiwSKAtn  the  heirs  and 


,*, 


■  f- 

,  * 

\t 

A 

1^ 

•^ 

t 

.^li^wel^es,  and  fed  Wini;  ^  Saj^ein,  the  heirs  and 
re  of  m  "two  grand  cMefs  who  signea  the  said 

- ''^'^iven  satisfactory  an^ 


^uccfessore  —  -T»  r    ,  " 
HJb  t^Ajaptain  Carver,  hi 


V'*. 


4». 


'^. 


t . 


■/ 


-mr 


Ttr 


-r/ 


.-I 


,,»ni, 


^"t 


.4    *>■'     •' 


^.■^■'  '. 


'.'/» 


*','?. 


T"*"?^""??^  "«'i'*^-?^'*  ^ 


f^^i  1*  -"n^i-^jgf"^  ^'^•>'i  '^''^'^' 


YT^'*   "-j(^>PS'^r'^f 


IT- 


220 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


positive  proof,  that  they  allowed- their  ancestors'  deed  to 
be  genuine,  good,  and  valid,  and  that  Captain  Carver's 
heirs  and  assigns  are  the  owners  of' said  territory,  and 
may  occupy  it  free  of  all  molestation.  * 

"  The  committee  have  examined  and  considered  the 
claims  thus  exhibited  by  the  petitioners,  and  remark 
that  the  original  deed  is  not  produced,  nor  any  compe^ 
tent  legal  evidence  oflfered,  of  its  execution ;  nor  is  there 
any  proof  that  the  persons,  whom  it  is  alleged  made  the 
deed,  were  the  chiefs  of  said  tribe,  nor  that  (if  chiefs) 
they  had  authority  ip  gr^uit  vand  give  away  the  land 
Ijclonging  to  their  tribe.  The  paper  annei^d  to  tlie 
petition,  a^  a  copy  of  said  deed,  has  no  subscribing  wit- 
nesses; and  it  would  seem  impossible  at  fhis  remote 
period,  to  ascertain  the  important  fact,  that  the  persons 
who  signed  the  deed  comprehended  and  understood  the' 
jneahing  and  effect  of  their  act.  -        '  * 

^'  The  want  of  proof  as  to  these  facts,  would  interpose 
in  tlie  way  of  the  claimants'  insuperable  difficulties. 
But,  in  the  opinion  of  the  committee,  the  claim  is  not 
such  as  ihe  United  States  are  under  any  obligation  to 
allow,  even  if  the  deed  were  proved  in  legal  form. 

"The  British  government,  before, the ^ime  when  the 
lleged  deed  bears  date,  had  deemed  it  ^udent  and 
isgfwy,  for  the  preservation  of  peace  witJi  the  Indian 
trills  uqder  their  sovereignly^  protection,  and  dominion,  • 
te  previftht  British  subjects  frompurchasmg  lands  Man  • 
the  Indians;  and  ihis  ruleijj|lpolicy  was  made  known 
and  enforced  by  the  proclarSHfei  of  the  king  of  Great 
Brijbain^  of  seventh^  October,  1763,  which  contains  -on 
^express  prohibitipii;^       '  ,^  t  ^t       ^^  -  ,    w        ^ 

«    "  Captain  Carva-j  aw^je  of  the  Ifitw,  and  Viiowirig  that  > 
auch  a  contract  could  not  v<S8t  the  legg.1  title  in  hifo, 


•       *, 


•^> 


S'      • 


'>       •.       ." 


V  .; 


•^ 


'•■*^1 


'»"  id- 


u 


J.  ^iC     ■  ^v' 


REPORT  OF  SBINATE  COMMITTEE. 


221     *      . 


applied  to  the  British  government  to  ratify  and  confirm 
the  Indian  grant,  and  though  it  was  competent  for  that' 
government  then  to  confirm  the  grant,  and  vest  the  title 
of  said  land  in  him,  yet,  from  some  cause,. that  govern- 
ment did  not  think  proper  to  do  it.       .  " 
^    "  The  territory  has  since  becoftie  the  property  of  the- 
Upited  States,  and  an  Indian  grant,  not  good  f^ainst 
the  B^-itish  govefmment,  would  appear  to  be  not  bii^iJig^ 
upon  the  United  Statfes  government. 
-     "  What  benefit  the  British  government  derived  ^rom 
the  services  of  Captain  Carver,  by  Kis  travels  and  resi- 
dence among  the  Indians,  that  government  alone  could 
determine,  and  rtlone  cquld  judge  what  remuneration 
those  services  deserved. 

"  One  fact  appefirs  from  the  declaration,  of  Mr.  Peters, 
in  his  statei^t'in  writing,  among  the  papers  exhibited, 
namely,  thaf  th^  British  government  did  give  Captain 
Carver  the  su|[i  of  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds  six  «hillings  and  eiglit  pence  ster- 
ling.* <^To  the^Unit«d  States,  however.  Captain  C^trver 
rendered  ^o  ls€^vice»  which  could  be  assumed  as  any 
equitable   ground  fSr  the  support  of  the   petitioners' 

claim.      .         .^    J     .  " 

"  The  committee  being  of ,  opinion  that  the  United 

States-  are  not  bou^d,  in  J%v  or.  equity,  to  confirm  the 

^8aid  alleged  Indiiw  jp-^nC/jIcK^  the  ad^tion  of 

the  following  resolutiqi^:'^    .-  ^*  •  - 

«  '  tte^dved,  that  the  "puayer'  of  the  petitioners  ought 
not  to. be  grantei." ',    /    - '^^     .  .'"-      ' 

» tord  Palmereton  stated  in  1839,"  -'  pafMiw/Bhowing'  any  ratification  of 
•that  pf^jje  cou,id  be  fiiund  ia  the  -  the  CAtwr  iprftat. 
K  recordB  oC  the  lintitho«oeK)f  state  " _    ♦  'r^-    ,     ■ 


.1 

1    " 


11  .  7- 


-I  .     ■*. 


•     4  ,..  %,i-,v    %: 


*     r   /f 


■ilJ 


\    :   .V;, 


-•16- 


222 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


CHAPTER   XII. 


■%,^ 


SusTAiNED^  by  Frencli 'influence  and  fire-arms,  the 
Ojibways  began  to  advance  into  the  Dahkotah  country. 
Carver  found  the  two  nations  at  war  in  1706,  and  was 
told  that  they  had  been  fighting  forty  years.  Pike, 
when' at  L^ech  Lake,  in  1806,  met  an  aged  Ojibway 
chief,  called  "  Sweet,"  who  said  that  the  Dahkotahs  lived 
there  when  he  was  a  young  mail.   *  •  , 

Ojib^ay^  tradition  says  that  about  one  hundred  Wid 
twenty-five  years  ago,  a  Urge  war  party  was.,  raised  to . 
marc&  "^gainst  a  Dahkotah  village  .lat- S&ndy  Lake ;  the 
Icaderlf  name  wps   Biauswah,  grandfather  of  a  well 
known  chief  of  that  name  at  Sandy  Lake.  ..    f    - 

'  Some  years  after  Sandy  Lake  had  i)een  taken  by  this 
chi^f,  sixty  Ojibway«  descended  the  Mississippi.  On 
their  return,. at  the  confluence  of  the  Crow  Wing  and 
Mississippi,  they  saw  traces  of  a  large  Bahkotah  paJrty 
that  h^a  ascendeito  their  village,  and  probably-kjUed 
their  wivefe  and  children.  .  Digging  holeff  in  the  gpound 
they  concealed  themselves,  and  awaited  the  desoent  of . 
their  oaemi(}8.  the  bBhkotflhs  Bodn  c$ine  floatiijg  down, 
«ngitig  songs. (rf  Mump^. ttn^ beating  th^'d^uk,  miih 
•icalps  dahgling  frcmt  pokg.^^  f  he  Da^otalis  wfere  ifiy^ 
tifties  as  many  as  tte  Ojilwayg;  but  wheti  the  latter 


V 


* >■■■    ■■■"■■■■■-  .^.r— r—" — -    ^^■■1SL*'',T 


"«^ 


_J    ...  -    ^,^^,^^  . 


OBIGIN  OP  THE  NAME  PILLAGER. 


tn 


beheld  the  reeking  scalps  of  tljftr  relatives  they  were 
nerved  to  fight  with  desperation.  The  battle  soon  com- 
menced, and  when  arms  and  ammunition  failed,  they 
dug  holes  near  to  each  other  and  fought  with  .stones. 
The  bravest  fought  hand  to  hand  with  knives  and  clubs. 
The  conflict  lasted  three  days,  till  the  Dahkotahs  at  last 
retreated.  The  marks  of  this  battle  are  still  thought  to  • 
be  visible.         >  ^  * 

The  band  of  Qjiifwrays,  living  at  Leech  Lake,  have 
long  borne  the  name  of  "Pillagers,"  from  the  fact  th^t, 
while  encampe^  at  a  small  creek  on  tte  Mississippi, 
ten  miles  from  Crow  Wing  river,  they  robbed  a  tjader 
of  his  goods.    ,  » 

Very  near  tA  period  that  .France  ceded  Canada  to 
^England,  the  last  conflict  of  the  Foxes  and  Ojibways 
took  place  at  the  Falls  of  the  St.  Croix. 

4^The 'account  which  the  Ojibways  give  ff  this  battle, 
is,  that  ariamou4  war  chi^f  of  Lak0  Superior,  \vhose 
V  jUMne  was  Waub-o-jeeg,  br/White  Fisher,  sent  his  war 
club  and  wampum  of  war  !»  call  the  picattered  ))difds  of 
the  Ojibway  tribes,.to'  collect  a  war  party  to  march 
against  the  Dahkotah  villages  qn.  th^  St..  Croix  aiid  ' 
Mississippi.    Warriors  from^St.  Mariq,  KeWeenaw,  Wis-* 
Jcoftsiin,  arid  GVahd  Portage  joined -hi?  ;^arty,  ^MP^C 
-   three  hundred  warriors,  Waaib-ojeeg  s^art^d  fgjyia 
Pointe  to  march  into  the  enemy'*  country.,    flMadf, 
sent  "his  wai«-.club  to  the  tiUJ^ge  of  S^ndy  Xato^iiid 
'  i!be^  had  eent*tofcfiftcco  in  retwrp,  yith*  answer  that  on  a 
certain  dfl^^ixty  men  from  that  section  of  the  Ojibway 
.  tribe  %outi^eet  him  at  t^  confluence  of  Sbakd  river  / 
;  Vit!^  tfie  St.  'Croix,    Oft  rSchi^^l^ttt'on  thfdayl 
'i  designated,"  AnA  .the  Sandy  _  Lake  ^arty  iidt  h&ving 
•  jMvedt^'' agreed,  upon,  Waqrb*o^j^eeg,  ncH  confident  in^  ^ 


>^ 


it 


Vjf     u. 


r- 


('<*'. 


•^ 


■^  -,  r-* 


^> 


^i 


:% 


\-A; 


<M*R» 


'^'h 


-r 


•Hi 


f 


^^ 


224 


V 
HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


4^» 


the  strength  of  his  numbers,  continued  down  the„  St. 
Croix.  They  arrived  at  the  Falls  of  St. 'Croix  early  in 
the  *mo?ning,'  and,  while  preparing  to  take  their  bark 
canoes  overf the  portage,  or  carrying  place,  scouts  were 
sent  in  advance  to -reconiieitre.  They  s6on  returned 
with  the  information  that  they  had  discovered  a  large 
party  of  Foxes  and  Dahkotihs  landing  at  the  other  end 
of  the  portage.  "     ^     '  *' 

The  Oiib\5irays  instant^-  prepared  for  battle,  and  the 
scouts  ^the  eliemy  having -discovered  them,  the  hostile 
parties  met  as  if  by  mutual  appointment,  in  the  middle 
of  the  portage.  The  Foxes^  after  seeing  the  c(^para- 
tively  small-number  of  the  Ojibways,  and  over  confident 
in  their  own  superior  numbers  and  prowess,  requested 
the  Dahkjotaha  not  to  join  in  the  fight,  but  to  sit  by  and 
see  how  quickly  they  .could  roUt  the  Ojibways.  This 
request  was  gtanted.  The  fight  between  the  contend- 
ing warriors,  is  said  to  have  been  fiercely  contested,  arid 
embellished  with  many  daring  acts  of  personal  valour. 
About  noon  the  Foxes  commenced  yielding  ground,  and 
at  last  wefe  forced' to  flee  in  confusion.  They  would 
probably  have  been  driven  iato  the  river  and  killed  to 
a  man,. had  not  their  allies  the  Dahkotahs,  who  had 
been  quietly  smoking  their  pipes  and  calmly  viewing 
the  fight  froni  a  distance,  at  this  juncture,  yelled  their 
'war  whoop,  and  rushed  to  the  rescue  of  their  discomfited 
friends.-  '-  •  ■' 

The  Ojibwf^s^ resisted  their  new  enemies  manfully, 

and  it  was  not  I  until' .their  ammunition  had  entirely 

,  failed--^at  they  ^h  tafn  showed  their  backs  in  flight. 

Few  Would  hav^  r^tumedlb  their  lodges  to  tell  the  sad 

tale  of  defeat?  and, death  of  brave  men,  had  not. the 

of  siT^ty  tyatriorB  from  Sandy  Lake.  Who  were  t<> 


party,  of  n^-^ty 


•  I 


>' 


■- *• 


■i'X 


'^N 


.'A- 


..-r- 


■  ■  ■"/•.«j:  .^    L^m 


...  .,;■; 

\:,':; 

>■_■    '"          • 

•»^ 

■«' 

<i 

< 

• 

- 

1 

St. 

ark 

« 

ere 

jkL 


''^ 


DEFEAT  OF  FOXES  AT  FALLS  OF  ST.  CROlt. 


225 


have  joined  them  at  the  mouth  of  Ssak'e  river,  arrived 
at  this  opportune  moment,  and  landed  at  the'  head  of 
the  portage.  ^ 

Eager  for  the  fight  and  fresh  on  the  field,  tEis  band 
withstood  the  onset  of  the  Dahkotahs  and  Foxes',  till 
their* retreating  friends  could  rally'  again  to  the  battle. 
The  Wikotahs .  and  Foxes  in  turn  fled,  and  it  is  said 
that  the  slaughter  in  their  ranks  was  great.  Many 
were,  driven  over  the  rocks  into  the  boiling  flood  below; 
.  and  everyXprfivice  in  the  cliffs  contained  a  dead  or 
wounded  eneibgf. 

From  this  tim«  the  Foxes  retired  to  the  souths  and 
for  ever  gave  up  the  war  with  their  victorious  enemies.  / 

Tradition  says  that,  while  th/EngUsh  had  possession 
of  what  is  now  Minnesota,  and  while  they  occupied  a 
trading-  post  near  the  confluenpe  of  the  waters  of  the 
-Minnesota  a^  Mississippi  rivers,  tfie  M'de-wackan-ton- 
wan  Dahkotahs  sent  the  "bundje  of  tobacco" 'to  their 
friends,  the  Wa-rpe-ton-wan,  Si-si^n-wan,  and  I-han- 
kt»n-wan  bands,  who  joined  them  \^ .  an  expedition 
against  the  Ojibways  of  Lake  Superior.  Notwithsta^d* 
ing  the  great  strength  of  the  |Rtt)ty.  tl^ey  found  and 
scalped  only  a  single  family  of  their  eiiemies. 

^n  after  then  return  to  their  owp  country,  a  quar- 
rel arose  between  a  M'dewakantonwati  named  Ixkatape 
(Toy)  and  their  trader.  The  Indian  iiame  of  the  trader 
WM  Pagonta,  Mallard  Duck.  The  result  of  the  quarrel 
waa,  that  one  day  as  the  unsuspecting  EngHshman  sat 
quietly  smoking  his  Indian  pipe  in  his  rude  hut  near 
Mendota,  he  was  shot  dead.       * 

^Ai  this  time  some  of  the  baads  of  th6  Dahkoti^  had 
learned  to  depend  very  much  upcmthe  trade  for  the 
means  by  which  they  subeisted  themselves.    At  aa 


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22Q  HISTdRY  OF  HatWNESOTA. 

earlier  period  it  would  Have  been  to  them  a  matter  of 
trifling  impprtance  whether  a  white  mm  wintered  with 

them  or  not.  ,  ^    , 

'  In  consequence  of  the  murder,  the  trade  was  tempo-  « 
rarily  withdrawn.  This  jvras  at  that  time  a  severe 
measure,  and  reduced  the^  bands  to  suffermgs  which  . 
thfev  couid  not  well  endure.  They  had  no  ammunition, 
no  traps,  no  blankets.  For  the  whole  long  dreary  winter, 
they  were^he  sport  of  cold  and  famine.  That  was  one 
of  the  severest  winters  that  the  M'dewakantonwans  ever 
Lperienced,  and  they  had  not  even  a  pipe  of  tobaxjco  to 

'  Siojie  over  their  unprecedented  t^isery.     They  hardly 

On\he  opening  of  sprikg,  after  much  deliBeratioh,  it 
was  determined  that  the  brav^and  head  men  of  the 
band  should  take  the  miirderer,  and  throw  themselves 
at  the  feet  of  their  English  Fathers  m  C^ada:   Accord, 
ingly,  a  party  of  about  one  hundred  of  their  best  men 
and  women  leftMehdota  early^in  the  season^  and  de- 
scended the  Mississippi  iii  their  canoes  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Wisconsin.     From  thence  they  paddled  up  the 
.Wisconsm,  and  down  the  Fox  rjver  to  Green  Bay.    By 
this  time,  however,  more  than  "lialf  their  number  had 
meanly  enough  deserted  theife.     While  they  ^fere  en- 
camped at  Greejj  Bay,- all  but  six,  vpart  of  w^om>ere 
females,  gave  up  the  enterprise,  and  disgra^sfcuy  re- 
turned, bringing  the  priAoner  with  t%ni.    The  tourage, 
^e  i3ane  and  sinew  of  tlie  M'dewakantonwart ,  b«nd 
/taight  have  been  found  in  that  iittte  ^remnaatbf  -Bix 
inen  and  women; 

Wapasha^  the  grandfather  of  the  present  chief  who 
beais  that  naine,  ^^as  ^e  man  of  that  truly  heroic  little 

"     " ->i         '^    -      ' i - 

■-■■     ■ ■"■■  "I  '  Ill    II    III ■!      II    I     ^^^■^——M I  ■■■l-llil    — .II..!      Ill —  .11  I        ■ ^ 


,.'  '  .  '^ 


'  v' :.  ■  ;  '  '^'\  ' 


■<     ,     " 


.       WAPASHAW  AT  MONTREAL. 


227 


half-dozen.  With  strong  hearts,  and  proud  perseverance, 
they  toiled  on  till  they  reached  Quebec.  .      ' 

Wapashaw,  placing  himself  at  the  ,he^d  of  the  little 
deserted  band,  far  from  home  and  friends,  assumed  the 
guilt  of  the  cowardly  murderer,  and  nobly  gave  him- 
self up  into  the  hands  of  justice  for  th6  relief  of  his; 
suflfering  people. 

'  After  they  had  given  him  a  few  blows  with  the  stem 
of  the  pipe  through,  wlxich  P^gonta  was  smoking  when 
he  was  killed,^  the  English  heard  Wapashaw  wjth  that 
noble  generosity  which  he  merited. 

He  represented  the  Dahkotaha  as  living  in  seven 
barids,*^  and  received  a  like  number  of  chiefs'  medals  • 
one  of  which,  was  hung  about  his  own  neck,  and  the 
remaining  six  were  to  be  given,  one  to  each  of  the  chief 
men  of  the  ot)^  bands. 

It  would  bft  highly  gratifying  to  know  who  we>e  the 
persons  who  received  those   six  chiefs'  medals ;.  but, 
although  not  more  than  one  century,  at  the  longest, 
'  has  passed,  siijce  Wapashaw's  visit  to  Canada,  it  cannot, 
liow  b©^  certainly  ascertained  fo  which  divisions  of  the  . 
Dahkotah  tribe  they  belonged;  it  seems  most  probable, 
however,  that  the  following  were  the  seven  divisiwis  to 
which  Wapashi|r  referred,  viz. : — M^de-warkan-ton-wan, 
Warrpe-kute,  Wafrpe-ton-wan,  Si-si-tpn-wan,  I-han-kton- *^ 
wan,  I-han-kton-waHrnan,  and  Ti-ton-wari. 
■    The  names  df  this;  little  band  of  braves  &re  aU'bst 
but  thaj^|j5^ash*w.    They  wintered  in  Canada, -and 
ajl  had, ^M^all^i. ^   B^^ch  means  Wapashaw  re^  s 
opened  thl^l^^of  trade,  and  became  richly  entitled  to    . 
th^  appelldEtioj^-the  Benefa^torof  the  Dt^hkotah  tri]^. 
Tradition  Itef^^lerved  the  ^name  of  no  greater  nor 
better  man  thftfi^Sph "-'----  ^ 


ashaw. 


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*      ^  HISTOEY  OF  MIRNESOTA. 


Wapashaw  did  not,  however,  end  his  days  in  peace. 
The  vile  spirit  of  the  fratricidal  Cain  sprung  up  among 
his  brothers,  and  he  was  driven  into  exil^  hy  their  mur- 
derous envy.  To  their  everlasting  shanSe  be  ift  recorded, 
that  he  died  far  away  fi^m  the  M'dewakahtonwan  vil- 
lage, on  the  Hoka  river.  It  is  said  tl^at  the  father  of  . 
Wakute  was  his  physician,  who  attended  on  him  in  his 
last  ilhiess.  The  Dahkotahs  will  never  forget  the  name 
of  Wapashaw.^ 

During  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  De  Peyster  was 
British  officer  in  command  at  Mackinaw.     Having 

.de  an  alliance  with  Wapashaw,  the  chief  desired  - 

at,  on  his  annual  visit,  he  should  be  received  with 
more  distinction  than  the  chiefs  of  other  nations.  This 
respect  was  to  be  exhibited  by  firing  the  cannon  charged 
with  ball,  in  the  place  of  blank  cartridge,  on  |iis  arrival,  ' 
so  that  his  young  warriors  might  be  accustomed,  to  fire- 
arms of  large  calibre.  ' 

On  the  sjxth  of  July,  .1779,  a  number  of  Choctaws, 
Chickasaws,'  and  Ojibways  were  on  a  visit  to  the 
iprt^,  when  Wapashaw  appearied ;  and  great  was  their 
astonishpient  when  thdy  beheld  balls  discharged  from 
the  cannons  of  the  fort  flying  over  the  canoes,  and  the 
Dahkotah  braves  lifting  their  paddles  as  if  to  strijte 
them,  and  icrying  out,  "  Taya !  taya !" 

De  Peystei^,  who  was  fond  of  rhjmaing,  composed  a 
rude  song,  suggested  by  the  scene,  which  is  copied  as  a 
curiosity: —  -'  / 

^    "Hail  ix)  the  chief!  who  hia  buffalo's  back  Btraddlea, 
When  in  hia  own  ooontry,  far,  far,  from  this  fort ; 
^  WhQse  braye  young  canoe-men,  here  hold  up  their  paddles,  >> 

V     In  hopes,  that  the  whizzing  balls,  may  give  them  sport. 


:« 


»G.H.Pon(i. 


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EXPEDITION  TO  PRAIRIE  DU  CHIEN  IN  1780. 

Hail  to  great  Wapashaw  1 

He  comes,  beat  drums,  the  Scioux  chief  comes.   \ 


229 


•«<. 


stMKieir  nerves  till  the  canoe  runs  bounding, 
awiw  Solen  goose  skims  o'er  the  wave, 


"They  now  St 
As  swift 
While  on  the  Lake's  border,  a  guard  is  surrounding 
A  space,  where  to  land  the  Scioux  so  brave.' 
Haill  to  great  Wapashaw  1 
Soldiers  1  your  triggers  draw  1 
Guard  I  wave  the  colours,  and  give  him  the  drum. 
Choctaw  and  Chickasaw,                               " 
Whoop  for  great  Wapashaw ; 
Raise  the  portcullis,  the  King's  friend  is  come.^ '  

When  the  news  reached  Mackinaw  that  Colonel 
George  R.  Clark,  in  command  of  Virginia  troops,  was 
taking  possession  of  the  Wabash  and  Mississippi  settle- 
ments, and  establishing  the  jurisdiction  of  Virginia,  the 
English  traders  became  uneasy  lest  the  Americans 
should  &,dvance  to  the  far  North-west.  As  a  precau- 
tionary measure  they  formed  "themselves  into  a  militia 
company,  of  which  John  McNamara  was  captain,  and 
a  trader  by  the  name  of  J.  Long  lieutenant. 

In,  the  month  of  June,  1780,  the  intelligence  was 
received  from  the  Mississippi  that  |;he  traders. had  depo- 
sited their  furs  at  the  Indian  settlement  of  Prairie  du 
Chien,  and  had  left  them  in  charge  of  Langlade,  the 
king's  interpreter;  and  also  that  the.  Americans  were 
in  great  force  iij  the  Illinois  country. 
•  By  request  of  the  commanding  officer  at  Mackinaw, 
Long  went  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  witt  twenty  Canadians, 

■^  These  uncouth  lines  are  from  a  he  seems  to  have  been  popular  with 

volume  of  miscellanies  published  by  the  traders,    yf^haii  he  was  .ordered 

De  Peyster,  at  Dumfries,  Scotland,  in  to  another  post,  iiir  presented  him 

1812,  in  the  possession  of  Hon.  L.  C.  with  a  silver  pu; 

Draper,  Secretary  of  the  Wisconsitf  holding  a  gall 

Historical  Society.  De  Peyster's  wife  silver  ladle, 
ij^fmbi«44um-to-Mftokioaw,  Wid  ^^^^ 


wl,  gilt  inside, 
a  half,  and  a 
of  regard.   ' 


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280  HIBTOOT  or  MINNISOTA. 

and  thirty-si^  Fox  and  Dahkotah  Indians,  in  nine  foi^ 

'' te  Xr-Wle  «^ping  ^n  the  Wisconsin  river,  Aey 
di«M>yered  a  smajllog  hut.  in  which  wa«a  trader,  with 
hTanns  cut  off,  lying  on  his  b«>k,  *ho  had  been  mur- 
dered by  the  Indians.  •    j    .  *i,l  « Ti-nrka 
-The  next  day  the  expedition  amved  at  the     Forks 
of  the  Mississippi,"  where  two  hundred  Fox  Indians  on. 
horseback,  armed  with  spears,  bbws,  and  «jtows,  awaited 
thfa.    Among  the  Dahkotah  Indians  of  the  party  was 
Wapashaw,  by  whose  order  thebirch  canoes  were  brought 
totheshor^Uponlandingth^FoxesgreetedWapa^aw 

and  his  party,  and  invited  them  to  a  feast  of.  dog,  b^ar,^ 

and  beaver  meat  '  , ,  ,      ,       ,,^  „i,ia/ 

After  the  feast  a  coundl  was  called,  when  the  cl;^ 
of  the  Foxes  addressed  Wapastaw  to  this  effect  :— 

«  Brothers,  we  are  happy  to  see  you;  we  have  no 
bad  heart  ageunst  you.  Although  we  are  not  the  same 
nation  ■by\mffxoe^,<Mvhe«xt^  are  the  same.  We  are 
aU  Indians,  and  are  happy  to  hear  that  our  Great  Father 
has  pity  on  us,  and  sends  uf  wherewithal  to  cover  us, 

and'enable  us  to  hunt." 

To  which  Wapashaw  replied : — 
■  "It  is  true,  my  children,  our  Great  Father,  has  sent 
me  this  way  to  take  the  skins'  and  furs  that  are  m.  the 
Dok's  Field  (Prairie  du  Chien),  un4ir  Captain  Lang- 
lade's charge,  lest  the  Great  K-BKres  (Americans)  should . 
plunder  them.  I  am  come  with  the  white  men  to  give 
^tt  wherewithal  to  cover  you,  and  •mnumtion  to 


??*• 


Arriv^g  at  ?>^  *»  Cl''^"'  *«  P®^*"**  were  found 
5n  a  ttg-house,  g^ed  by  Captai,  IjmgWe  and  some 
Indu^.    Aiter  l^Oug  » W.t  period,  the  .snnPf.  wVfB. 


•i 


FOBMATION  OF  NOBTH-WEST  COMPANY. 


231 


filled  with  three  hundred  packs  of  the  best  skins;  and 
the  balance  burned  to  keep  them  ftom  the  American*, 
who  a  few  days  afterwards  arrived  for  the  purpose 

of  attacking  the  post.  '■„,,.;.   w.^ 

At  this  period  the  M'dewakantonwan  Dahkotahs  had 

■    retired  from  the  region  of  MiUe  Lac,  and  were  residing 

.       at  Penneshaw's'  post,  on  the  Minnesota,  a  few.  mdes 

above  its  mouth.  .  .    -j    »  *    41,^ 

After  the  disturb^c?  of  commerce,  mcident  to  toe 
cession  of  Canada,  had  ceased,  the  trade  in  furs  began 
.        to  revive.    In  the  year  1766,  traders  left  Mackmaw, 
-      and  proceeded  as  far  as  Kamanistigpya,  thirty  nules 
east  of  Grand  Pdrtage.    Thomas  Curry  shortly  after 
ventured  aa  far  as  the  valley  of  the  Saskatchewan,  and 
his  su<!cess  in  obtaining  furs  induced  a  Mr.  James  Fm- 
lay  to  establish  a  post  in  the  same  valley,  a»  high  as 
the  forty-eighth  and  a  half  degree  of  latitude. 
V       The  Hudson  Bay  Company  were  uneasy  at  this  en- 
croachment of  private  enterprise  upon  the  territory,  and 
endeavour^  to  counted'  it,  though  witiiout  success 

About  the  year  llSO;  two  este,bEshments  on  the 
Assiniboine  river  were  destroyed  -by  the  Indians,  and  a 
pl^  M  to  extirpate,  the  traders,  but  that  «  noisome 
CtUence,"  the  laU  pox,  breaking  out  among  .the 
tribes,  their  attention  was  diverted. 

During  the  winter  of  1783-t,  tiiere  was  a  Partnership 

.  formed  ly  a  number  of  traders,  ^h.^ -^  ^^^^^ 

;      North-west  Company.    There  were  at  first  b,^s«^ 

shares,  and  the  management  of  the  whole  was  entensted 

toX  brothers  Frobisher  and  McTavish,  at  Mon^al. 
X   .        A  few  aat  were  dissatisfied,  fanned  an  oppcation 


»TI» 


lUM  IndiTidutl  onUed  P«nn«dwn  wd  Pinohoa. 


■^ 


*•■ 


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282 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


%  v 


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company,  one  of  tke  members  of  which  was  the  explorer 
and  author  Alexander  Mackenzie.  After  a  keen  rivalry, 
this  company  waS  merged  with  the  North-west  iii  1787, 
and  the  number  of  share^  was  increased  to  twenty. 

From  that  tinie.the  fur  trade  of  the  north-west  was 
systematized.  The  agents  at  Montreal  received  the 
o-oods  from  England,  and  two  of  them  went  every  year 
to  the  Grand  Portage  of  Lake  Superior,  to  receive  packs 
and  ship  the  furs  for, ^Europe,      i  .^ 

In  1798,  the  company  was  "reorganized,  new  partners 
admitted,  and  th^  shares  increased  to  forty-six. 

The  magnitude  of  the  operations  of  the  company  sur- 
prise us.     At  the  close  of  ihe  laslj  century;  they  em- 
,  ployed   fifty  clerks,  seventy-one  interpreters,   eleven 
'  hundred  and  twenty  canoe-fdj^  Five  clerks,  eighteen 
guides,  and  three  hu]idrea:*lP  My  canoe-men  were 
employed  between  the  hfaS  x)f  Lake  Superior  and  Mon- 
treal.    The  others  were  in  Minnesota,  and  the  country 
abov^.     The  cano^^ftoen were  known  as  "Pork  Eaters," 
ot "  Goers  and  ^nifers,"  and  "  Winterers,"  the  latter  so 
called  because  they  entered  the  interior  and  passed  the 
winter  in  traffic  with  the  Indians,  received  double  wages, 
and  were  hired  from  one  to  three  years.    The  clerks 
were  a  kmd  of  apprentices,  and  received  a  salary  of  one 
hundred  pounds,  with  their  board  and  clothing,  with 
the  prospect  of  bemg  taken  into  partnership,  if  they 
proved  good  business  men.    The  guides  and'interpreters 
were  paid  in  goods.  ^ 

'  .    In  July  the  "Winterers"  begati  to  assemble  at  Grand 
Portage  to  settle  tk^|r  accounts  and  receive  new  outfits, 
'  and  at  times  more  than  one  thousand  were  congregated. 
The  mode  of  living  at  the  Portage  was  truly  baronial. 
The  pfepriotors,  clerks,  guides,  flud  interpreters  all  ate  in 


-A^ 


-y^Ag^^a,^^ 


■    -"^'      ''^-^     ■•--^   ^ 


-   ?//" 


) 


-     ^ 
TRADERS  AT  SAIWY  LAKE  AND  TINE  RIVER. 


238 


one  large  hall,  at  different  tables,  and,  the  labours  of  the^ 
day  over,  the  fiddlers  were  brought  in  and  there  wa«  a 
merry  time.     The  trader  in  his  lonely  outpost,  con- 
sidered the  reunions  at  Lake  Superior  halcyon  days,  and 
wafi  buoyed  up  by  anticipating  the  annual  visit 

The  iove  of  adventure  has  often  led  educated  young 
men  "into  the  woods,"  a.  well  aB  ^^  before  the  mast       . 
Sailor  *Ufe  ajad  Indian  trade,  unless  there  is  strong  reh- 
gious  principle,  are  apt  t«  render  one  «  eaxthly,  sensual 
Ld  devilish."    There  have  been  sc^s  enaxited  m  Mm- 
nesota  which  will  never  be  known  tdl  the  judgment 
day,  for  ignorance  of  whic^we  should  be  grateful 
The  history  of  one  trader  at  an  outpost,  is  substan- 

'  ^t  t  yi"Tm:Lxande.  Kay  ^  M^t..l 
■  to  obtain  an  outfit  for  the  purpose  of  trading  at  Fon  du 
La.  I^ech  Lake,  and  vicinity  in  Minnesota.  A  young 
S^.'Xated  'at  the  .College  of  Quebec  n^d 
Perrault,  became  his  clerk.  They  arrived  at  La  Pomte 
on  the  first  of  November.  .     „      - 

•      On  the  little  lake  at  the  entrance  of  the  St.  U)m8 
rive^,  they  found'the  quarters  of  Default,  a  clerk  of  the 

North-west  Company.  •  «^  ^  *   /..  x     •  „ 

Kay  while  he^  wa«  mad,  in  coi6equens|of  mtoxica, 

tion,  and  with  obstinacy  pushed  up  the  sFLou«  nver, 

^t^  only  a  bag  of  flour,  a  keg  of  butter,  and  of  W 
ThSe  Ws  p^ty  consisted  of  his  squaw  mistress 
■  Suiand  fourteen  employees.    At  the  portage  of 

SSr  he  met  his  p^er,  Mr.  Harris,  also  without 

''^:::^Z'^^^^  -*  Kay  about  proved. 
.      i„g  S^r^th  no  provision  for  the  winter;  but  draw^ 


„^i:^^.^C^^£:^^^^ 


•?,^p^.3i,»5'^J^i-Kfw-1%  r^i,'  >>    v^-' 


m 


HISTOEY  OP  MINNESOTA. 


ing  a  pistol,  he  threatened  to  Aoot  those  that  did  uot 

\i^g  Mr.  Hairi8,  an  Indian  named  Big  Marten 
'^S  meri,  he  pushed  on  m  advance^ti^^^^^^ 
dav  sent  back  word  that  he  had  gone  on^to  Pme  Biver, 
tdSlg  Hs  clerk  to  winter  at  the  Sa^anne  portage 

^.fitw  day^  haxd  toil  amid  iii  f^^-^ 
sisW  on  the  pods  ofthe^wUd  rpse,  and  ttie  s»i.^C., 
^^^mtaSe  men  reached  *e  point  des^al^^ 
For*  time  they  Uved  there  on  a  few  roots  and  fish,  but    , 
!lt  Christmi,  hunger  compeUed  t^- ^o  -k  taj 
employer  at  Kne  Biver.    Weak  m  body,  they  pa^d 
th^udi  Sandy  Lake,  descended  the  nyer,  and  at  last 
aS  at  Kay's  post  at  Pine  Biver.    After  he  was 
::S!  Penult  was   despatehed  to  the^  Savanne 
portagS,  where,  with  his  men,  he  built  a  log  hut. 
^T^rd  the  close  of  February,  BrecheVBig  Maxten, 
and  other  CtJibway  Indians,  brought  in  iieat     Mr.Jtay 
•shortly  after  visited  his  clerk,  and  to  d  the  tooubles  he 
had  with  the  Indians,  who  exceedmgly  hated  him.    In 
April  Kay  andPerrault visited  Sandy  ^ak^. f  «^?;" 
cL,  or  Broken  Arm,  ol^  Bo-koon-ik,  was  the  <^;W 
chief     On  the  second  of  May,  Kay  went  out  to  meet 
his  partner  Harris  coming  ftom  Rne  Biver.      ^  .^  _ 
.  Ihiring  his  absence,  Katawabada,'  and  Mongozid,  and 
other  Indians,  came  and  demanded  rum.     After  much 
,  entreaty  Perrault  gave  them  a  UttK.    Soon  Hams, 
Cr.^dX.t  .xrived,.all  intoxicated.    The  Indian. 
S^^  for  mischief.    An  Indian,  named  I*  Cousin 

-     .ph.cRi„ri..^ffib,i«yofa..    po-iW.*>""l'V»»l»I^''«''^«"• 
M»i»ippi.  .bout  •/•?;•  J°7'2   V^4.1»d.  or  t«M  T«tb, 


.  Simdy  Lato-miSr- 


vS; 


•  ,  ■~^-. 


\ 


KAY  WOUSDBB  IN  A  DBtWKBK  BEVEL. 


2SS 


by  the  rreiich,«!ame  to  Ka/s  tent,  anU  asked  for  rmn, 
Kav  told  him  "  No,"  and  pushed  him  out ;  the  Indian  then 
drew  a  conbealed  knife,  and  stabbed  him  in  the  neck. 
Kay,  picking  up  a  carving  knife,  chafed  him,  but  before 
he  could  reach  his  lodge,  the.pa«Ba«e_was  blocked  up  by 

XT^'assailaufB  mother,  appro!«!MngKa3r,sdd,«a.g- 
Ushman!^  you  come  to  kill  ms^f  and,  while  miplor- 
l^g  ToTher  soi  with»^Sge  crue4  s**!'^^  ^^  ^  ^^ 

"*T«  Petit  Mort,  a  friend  of  the/wounded  trader,  took 
ui^^l,  a^i  Bol^yi-g  foZ  seized  Cul  Bl^c,  an 
aihwaj^bylhe  scalp  lock,  anf  drawing  his  head  b^ 
hepli^d  a  knife  into  his  IreasV  exclaimmg  "Die, 

*ThJtdia.  women,  becoing  a^pmed  at  to  h«. 
chanal,  went  into  the  lodge|  and  empUed  out  all  the 

"^"•^IS  ?  May,  Kay-s  wound  was  bet^  a^d 
seSng  ibf  Hams  and  Perrault  to  come  to  his  tent,  he 

"'?G:ntlemen,youseemysituationa.l>-edetor^ed 
to  leave  you  at  all  hazards,  to  8et  outjor  MactaMW, 

,  *^-y,  then  taking  Wd  of  Perradfs  hand,  Harris 
^T^fyt^'iriSryou  understand  the  l^gua^^ 
he  must  accompany  you.    He  ib  a  gooa  i>i:       > . 


:i 


\' 


*'  ^:i^iff«^  ■^i^ffJ'^*-^  -"  K 


■■  / 


'•«• 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


236  ' 

has,  Uke  myself  and  others,  a  strong  passion  for  drink- 
ing'which  takes  away  hisjudgment "  _.    . .   • 

In  the  afternoon  Kay  left,  m  a  litter,  for  Mackmaw. 
Perrault  and  Harris  proceeded  to  Leech  Lake,  where 
they  had  a  successful  trade  with  the  Pillagers.  • 

Returning  io  the  Savannah   river,  they  found  J 
Beaume  there,  mi  a  Mr.  Piquet.     The  former  had 
wintered  at  th^rt  of  B^  Lake,  aA  its  entrance  into 

Red  River.  «   v    ts     j  j     t-^ +«  ' 

They  all  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Fond  du  Ei«  to 
Max5kinaw,  where  they  arrived  on  the  twenty-fourth^of 
May,  and  found  Kay  in  much  pain.  The  latter  soon  after 
this  started  foi*  Montreal,  but  his  wound  suppurated  on 
the  journey,  and  he  died  at  the  Lake  of  the  Two  Moun- 
'  tains,  August  twenty-eighth,  1785.' 

About  the  period  of  this  occurrence„Praine  du  Chien 
made  its  transition,  from  a  temporary  encampment  dT 
Indians  aad-^eir  traders,  to  a?  hamlet.  Atnong  yie 
first  set^s  were^ard,  Antaya,  and  Dubuque. 

In  the  ye^  1780,\tfeej£ifp  of  Peosta,  a  Fox^mor, 
discovered  a  large  vein  of  lead,  in  Iowa,  on  ^the  west 
bank  of  the  Mississippi.  >      *     _ 

At  a  council  held  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  in  1788,  JuUen 
Dubuque  obtained  permission  to  work  the  lead  mmes, 
on  and  near  the  site  of  the  city  that  bears  his  n^e, 
and  the  bluff,  on  which  is  the  Uttle  stone  housq.  that 
covert  liis  remains.  ^  j  tv  i 

Towards  the  close  of  the  la«t  century  we  find  Dick- 
son, Renville,  Grignon,  and  othersr  trading  with  tb« 
Qjibways  and  Dahkotahs  of  Minnesota.  In  the  emplo; 


I  "  Hi.tory,  condition,  and  p«hk       Mr.  Schoolcraft  says  that  Ha^. 
^f  of  th/Wan  Tribes  of  the    wa,  a  nat^^e  of  Albany,  imd  w4, 
^•^t^^titeiT^i.  iii.       •     .  ili.uuil830. 


V 


JODGE  PEBtlEE,  TRADER  IS  MINNESOTA. 


287 


ment  ofthfe  latter,  at  hU  trading-house  on  the  nver 
St.  Croix,  was  James  EerUer,  a  youth,  who  in  the  next 
osntury,  becMne  one  of  the  most  useful  citizens  of  Green 
Bay,  Wisconsin.    He  was  a  liatiye  of  Montreal,  and 
arrived  at  Green  Bay  in  1791.'  Two  years  aft^r  he  was 
employed  by  an  old  trader,  Pierre  Gnpion,  to  aqt  as 
clerk,  at  his  trading,  post  on  the  St.  Croix.     While 
there  he  tfound,  with  a  band  of  Menompn^s^  aii  mte- 
resting  girl,  the  daughter  of  a  wontan  that  had_  been 
abandoned  by  a  French  trader,  with  whom  he  feU  m 
U  and  ma^ed.    In  the  yea.  1T97,  m  company  wrth 
■  Dickson,  he  winterea  near  Sauk  Eapids.    When  Bke 
S  Ihe  country  he  was  still  eng^  m  tradmg 
above  the  Falls  of  St.  Aiithony,  and  he  gave  this 
young  officer  much  information,  which  he  deemed  valiia. 
ble     Eetuming  to  Wisconan  he  acted  as  chief  justice 
of  Brown  county,  for  a  period^sixteen  years,  and  died 
in  1839,  much  respected.      ^    ,     _      „.    _    . 

'While  PerUet  was  wmtermg  on  the  St.  Oroix,  a 
broken.doW  merchant  of  Montreal,  who  h^  marnrf 
a  lady  of  wealth  in  that  dty,  a  pompous  and  ipiorant 
ma^V  of  eccentridty,  by  tiie  name  of  Chri^ 
-  Bea;me,  was  his  companion.  To  the  early  ^ttl^sof 
Green  Bay  he  was  known  as  Judge  B^aume.  WMe 
oHhe  St  Croix  the  foUowing  anecdote  «  related  of 

■■-  .  '    'I-  / 

^Sne  day  he  invited  PerUer  and  other  triers  m  tiie 
viciito^e  with  him.  The  gueste  had  amved,  and 
r^ll,  cooked  in  bears'  oU  and  n^Pje  ™^  r'. 
Z>^  when  Amable  ChevaUer,  a  if  *>«ed,  told 
:,S:r^;hatthere^.^tp,^e.uJo..^^^ 


I     ■^•3^:r^ 


'  V^^'-" 


aj,    ^^"'^t  •^*iwv.^  ij    '^'1^6^^ 


23t 


HISTORY  OP  MINNESOTA;- 


Reaume's  head  his  red  cap,  and  spreading  it  upon  the 
table,  filled  it  with  the  hashed  venison.-  Reaume,  in 
retaliation,  seizing  a  handful  of  meat,  threw  it  into  the 
half-breed's  face.  Becoming  much  excited,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  guests  to  part  the  belligerents."^     ^ 

In  the  yearfl794,"the  North-west  Company  built  an 
establishment  at  Sandy  Lake,  With  bastions,  and  aper- 
tures in  the  angles  for  musketry.  It  was  enclosed  with 
pickets  a  foot  square  and  thirteen  feet  m  height.  There 
were  three  gates,  which  were  always  closed  after  the 
Indians  had  received  liquor,  "  The  stockade  enclosed 
two  rows  of  buildings,  containing  the  provision  store, 
workshop,  warehouse,  room  for  clerks,  and  axjcommodar 
tion  for  the  men.  On  the  west  and  south-west  angles 
of  the  fort  were  four  acres  of  ground,  enclosed  with 
pickets,  and  devoted  to  the  culture  of  the  potato." 

The  British  posts  were  not  mfmediately  surrendered 
after  the  treaty  of  1783  between  Great  Britain  and 
America,  and  led  to  some  iU-feeling  upon  the  part  of 
the  United  States.  When  Baron  Steuben  waff  sent  by 
Washington,  in  1784,  to  Detroit,  to  take  possession  of 
l^he  fort,  the  British  commandant  informed  him  that  he 
had  no'authority  to  deliver  up  the  post,  as  it  was  on 
Indian  territory.  By  the  presence  of  British  officials 
•  among  the  Indian'  tribes,  a  hostile  feeling  was  main- 
tamed  towards  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  which 
led  to  the  wars  with  the  Indians  toward  the  close  of  the 

last  century.         '  .    . 

In  the  treaty  effected  by  Mr.  Jay,  Great  Britain 
agreed  to  withdraw  her  troops  from  all  posts  and  places 
within  the  boundary  lines  assigned  by  the  treaty  of 

iWiMOMiii.HiitoriMlSooi6iiyOoUeoti<mi,Tol.  iii.      ,. 


•/•I 


»pJW«3V^  »5     ,  t;ST9%;^  ■?■.'" 


/ 


41  M^ 

^  NORTH-WEST  CO.  ESTABLISH  POSTS  IN  MINNESOTA. 


.239 


peace  to  the  United  States,  .on  or  before  the  first  day 
of  June,  1796.  The  teeaty  also  provided  that  alj  British 
settlers  and  traders  'might  remam  for  one  year,-and- 
enjoy  all  their  former  pri^leges  without  being  com- 
pelled to'be  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

Taking  advantage  of  this  clause,  the  North-west 
Company,  through  the  Fond  4u  Laxj  department,  dotted 
every  suitable  place  m  Minnesota  with  trading  posts. 

They  not  only  encircled  the  lakes,  but  did  nof  pay^ 
duties  nor  apply  for  licenses.  At  these  posts  the  British 
flag  was  hoisted;  and  they  frequently  created"  ci^ 
chiefs  aniong  the  Indians,  to  whom  they  presented  the 
colours  and  medals  of  His  Britannic  majesty. 


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KElILL'S  HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA, 

;PBOM  rrS  EARLIEST  "explorations    > 

►  FRENCH/AND  BRIJISH  GOVERNMENTS,. 


TO    THE    PRESENT    TIME. 


BY 


REV.  EDW.  DTJFFISL©  NEILlI 


'one  Volvme,09tavo,m  pages.    Price  $2  50.    On  recW<  0/  «;/t»c/. 
\        theworjcvjillbeaemlhy^mailpostpaia.      - 

''  Tms  work,  although  th*  history  of  but  o^e  State,  is  apontribu- 
tion  to  the'geueral  history  t)f  the  Confederacy.  It  «  th^eaal 
of  care'ful  and  widely-extend^  research,  and  written  ma  style  ^0 
plain  and  graphid  that  it  can  be  r^U  aloud  to  those  who  gather. . 
"  on  a  winterr^gHt,  ardund  the  capacious  fireplace  of  a^on^- 
man's  cabin.  At  th4  same  time,  the  .facte  concerning  *he  opera- 
tions  of  the  French  Court  in  the  Northwest  in  the  last  centuir, 
makej  vlble  pn  tiis.parlor-taWe  of  the  cultivated,  in  the  bo^- 
ewe  of  t^?.  literary  man.  and  in  the  Ubtaries  of  schools  Ad  semi- 

"^oZ  copy,  postage  prepaid,  sent  for  $2  50  to  any  address,  by 
a  C.  e^aOGS  &  Co.,  Chicajgb ;  or  the  PubUphers. 
V        cfe  -  T  «  TTPPTirhntT  &  CO.. 


-:Mi- 


j.  B.  LIPHNCOtT  &  CO.,  ^Wladelphia. 


r^ 


^  BBCOMMBWDATIONS. 

'  FROM  HON.  S;  P.  CHASE,  -        _, 

•      •    '    .  V       .  aovsKNOB  ot  bmo.  ^ 

"I  have  found,  the  history  of  Mini^ta.  veryjnterestihg.    It 
exhibits,  ia fltriWilg  Ughts,  increMe  progress."  j^,,.    _.^^  1: 


^ 


^ 


/^ 


BECOHMXNDATIONS. 


"  FROM  PROF.  LONGFELLOW, 

AUTHOE  Of  "BVAHGILIMB"  AND  •'HIAWATHA.*' 

"Your  History  of  Minnesota  I  have  looked  over  with  much 
interest  *  *  *  *  I  do  not  see  how. the  work  can  be  rJ^- 
garded  otherwise  than  as  an  important  contribution  to  our  his- 
torteJiterature."    ,  ,        !^, 


/ 


'X 


"f~ 


FROM  REV.  S.  R.  RIQG8, 

MUBIOHAET  AMOHG  TH^  DAHKOTAHB. 


'  "Mr  NeUl  has, from.the  commencement  of  his  residence  in  Min- 
nesota, interested  himself  in  the  history,  customs,  conditions,  and 
language  of  the  Aborigines,  and.  perhaps,  I  might  say,  especially 
of  the  Dahkotahs.  He  is,  therefore,  in  most  respects,  a  very  fit  man 
to  represent  them  to  the  world.  I  know  of  no  man,  not  connected 
with  our  missionary  work,  who  has  sympathised  with  its  difficulties 
and  made  himself  acquainted  with  its  resulU.  to  a  greater  extent 
than  Mr-NeUl.     And  Imay  add,  he  has  not  faUed  t^  do  ample 

^*"a1  a  coUectlott  of  historical  incident!,  it  is  very  interesting  and 
valuable;  and  as  such  I  most  cordially  commepd  it  to  every  one 
who  desires  to  know  more  of  Minnesota,  past  and  presdnt,  than  he 
can  obtain/rom  any  other  source." 


k' 


11     -^ 


FROM  THB^AILY  MINNB80TIAN,  (St.  Pauu) 
"Few  will  appreciate  the  immense  labor,  distributed  through  a 
period  of  nine  years,  which  this  work  has  cost  iU  author.  As  it  is 
read  over,  and  we  observe  the  great  mass  of  faoU  which  it  con- 
tains, new  and  ekirely  original  with  this  work,  and  relating  to  the 
very  early  history  of  Mlnnesota,-^mbodying  the  travels  of  the 
first  explorers,  the  operations  of  the  first  Indian  traders,  the  trans- 


'  J-,    -■' 


i     <' 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

actions  and  shifting  relations  of  thOndian  tribes  who  were  its 
primitive  inhabitants,— the  mass  of  its  readers  we  fear  wiU  scarcely 
bestow  a  thought  upon  the  difficulties  that  have  been  surmounlfed 
by  the  persevering  industry  of  Mr.  NeiU  in  giving  this  work  to  the 
world."  '■'' 


■     FROM  THE  NOETH  WESTERN  HOME  JOURNAL,  (CaioAGO.)     * 

««We  confess  to  a  high  degree  of  satisfaction  in  reading  this 
bopk  The  puyishers  have  done  their  work  well.  The  binding, 
type,  and  pla|Pare  neat  and  excellent  The,  wader  will  get 
through  the  six  hundred  pages,  and  more,  without  either  a  pamm 

his  eyes  or  his  heartl  .,    .     ,       a 

"But  what— asks  the  person  who  has  not  yet  seen  the  book,  and 
scarcely  ever  heard  of  the  subject ^of  which"  it  treats-what  can 
there  be  in  a  history  of  Minnesota  worthy  of  so  m|ich  applause  r 
Very  much  indeed— romance  enough  to  eke  out  a  dozen  i^ovels." 

^t    ,         ■^°«- 


FROM  THE  WASHINGTON  UNION.  .. 

"Mr.  NeiU  has  executed  his  work  in  a  very  creditable  manner. 
*    *    ♦    *    We  have  twice  explored  the  Territory  of  Minnesota 
up  to  the  boundary-lme  of  the  British  Possessions,  traversing  the 
forests,  and  navigating  those  majestic  lakes  in  a  frail  birch  canoe, 
and  we  can  bear  personal  testimony  to  the  truth  of  Mr.  NeiUs 
warm  eulogies  of  the  beauty  and  fertiUty  of  the  immense  tracts  of 
country  in  the  new  State,  which  are  yet  undisturbed  even  by  the . 
pioneer's  axe." 


FROM  THE  PHnj^DBLPHlA  EVENING  BULLETIN. 
"This  is  not  only  a  ^ery  scholarly  but  a  very  curious  and  inte- 
resting book-one,  too,  presenting  no  inconsiderable  claim  to  be 
ranked  amonf  the  arst^lasa  works  of  American  history." 


V  i 


/    . 


'« 


M 


!iptog»j(.'i*!5»  »»"'*''^»-»'g^fK?Tfe#^' 


'5  "      . 


RE00WMBNDATI0N8. 


PJK)Mj;»B    PR53^    (PHOADIIPHIA.) 


«In  some  respectB,  this  volume  deserves  to  be  estiinated  a^  m 
important  contribution  to  historical  and  topographical  Uteratm^. 
Mr  Neill  W  evidently  bronght  indnstry,  abiUty  research,  per- 
sonal  kn«i.ledge,  and  unscmpnlons  honesty  to  the  execnUon  of 
this  hiifif-Unposed  task.  It  will  be  difficnlt-^  might  say  im-  , 
p^W&  supersede  this  work,  so  copious  and  satisfactory  are 
itB  d^ails.  Messrs.  Lit)pincot*,  the  pubUshers.  have  presented  it 
to^e  pubUc  in  their  most  attractive  manner."^  y,^ 


/ 


/ 


FROM  THE  HOME  JOURNAL,  (NiW  Yoek») 


"AU  who  take  aiiy  inlerest  in  the  progress  of  our  westem^coun- 
m  wiU  read  this  4e  volume  with  satisfaction.  It  contains  a  arge 
^onnt  of  facts  and  statistics,  together  with  much  entertainihg 
reading  matter-including  biographical  sketches  graphic  descrip- 
tions of  scenery, etc.  etc.,'  In  a  word,  it  will  amply  repay  perusal 


'•w,' 


.*'" 


I-  .'  PBOM  TOTTOTORI(«!^  llAOAZlSE.  (»«w  Yo«.)4^         > 

"  This  work  bears  the  impress  of  authorlty-that  authority  which 
derives  its  weight  f^m  careftd  Investigation  and  "^-i-Jf  «  ^esit^ 
to  ascertain  and  promulgate  the  truth.  ♦  *  *  *  Mr.  NeiU  • 
volume  may  be  safely  commended  as  one  of  the  most  readable 
books  on  the  history  of  the  new  States  in  the  Wert,  and  ^U  de- 
lirving  an  ftttwtlye  geru«aL" 


•,?» 


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